Behind Blue Eyes
by celtic goddess of fertility
Summary: Sequel to Kissed by the Sun. Everyone's back for another go at defeating the Fire Nation once and for all. Can the Gaang do it? Can two lovers reunite after tragedy? Heck if I know, read and find out! :D
1. Back in Black

**Disclaimer : I don't claim to own Avatar, because I don't.**

Zuko sighed. It had been a long year fighting with the Avatar. He felt like the war was never going to end.

Sure, they had killed the Firelord, his father, but they had forgotten about Azula. He growled in anger whenever he thought about the bitch.

The damage and body count was twice that of Ozai's rule, and rising. Ba Sing Se, the once-beautiful capitol of the Earth Kingdom, was completely burned down, destroyed. That was almost fine with Zuko though, it helped him forget what he had done there.

Not that he wanted to forget, ever, death first, but it hurt him to think of her. Rather, it hurt him to think that he had hurt her. It was confusing.

She had stayed away for a whole year. Well, she actually had visited once, but he hadn't been there. So it didn't count. Katara had chronicled it for him when he got back.

She said Avalon had seemed okay. Her hair was blonde again, but very choppy because she had cut it herself on the go. On a face less stunning, it would have looked ridiculous. Avalon hadn't smiled much, and laughed less, but at least she was active. She had gone back to the place she was raised.

And Katara said that nothing else could be said. Sure, it was sad that the sparkle in her eyes and the bounce in her step were gone, but she was on the road to recovery.

Zuko had asked if Avalon had asked about him, and Katara just shook her head, giving Zuko the impression Katara was hiding something from him. He didn't press it though.

The only thing Katara vented on was Avalon's lack of sharing; she was bearing the weight on her own shoulders, not even asking for help.

Zuko nodded, that was just like Avalon. He desperately longed to see her again. He wouldn't say anything; he just wanted to look at her. It was as if she was the sun he could not live without for too long.

Nope, he definitely had to stop thinking like that. But every time he told himself something different, it was unbearable.

And to make his life better, there were rumors that Azula was planning on sweeping the entire country-side in an attempt to find them.

Letters and messages were being sent out frantically, as much help as possible was being gathered. Zuko didn't really have a part in the planning, even after a year they still didn't trust him completely. Only Katara did. But she trusted everyone, so it didn't really count.

He was pulled back into reality suddenly; a gust of wind blew his hair back from his face. Aang was up in the air, and speeding away. Zuko hopped up and dashed right into Sokka.

"Watch it," Sokka yelled at him. Like most things Sokka said, Zuko chose to ignore him.

"Where's Aang going?"

"None of your business."

Zuko didn't bother, and went in search of Katara or Toph, either of which would probably tell him.

He found Toph first.

"Where did Aang go just now?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, uh, I dunno. He just … like left … I guess."

"Toph, you're mumbling. Where did he go?"

"How should I know? Do I look like his mother?"

"Toph, please. Tell me."

"I … I can't. Sorry, Zuko, it's nothing personal."

Nothing personal. That only meant one thing. Avalon. They protected everything they knew of her current location from him, besides that she was home. They tried to keep it secret that at least one of them went to visit her once a month, but it was obvious.

It annoyed him. It was between him and her, and they shouldn't meddle. Katara wandered over, glancing curiously at Zuko's befuddled look.

"Where did Aang go? Just now?" he tried again.

"He, um, went for …"

"Katara no!" Toph exclaimed, "No!"

"Please, he's going to find out anyway. He is going to find Avalon."

Zuko nodded, he had been right, "Will he find her?"

"I don't know," Katara replied softly, trying not to hurt him. Zuko just nodded again, biting his lip anxiously.

"Anyway …" Toph broke the awkward silence.

"Oh, right," Katara remembered what she had walked over for, "There's going to be a short, mandatory meeting in about an hour. It's about the invasion."

It didn't start for another three hours, because lunch started and nobody wanted to taint the Duke's delicious food discussing war.

They shuffled lethargically to the fire pit, nobody really wanted to do this, especially because Aang wasn't there and it didn't matter without him. Katara assured everyone he would be back soon, maybe even before they were finished. After a few more grumbles, they got under way.

It wasn't very important, and certainly not crucial to the world's survival, but heated arguments sprung up about current living arrangements. Some of the local fighters wanted to go home, and not stay in the earthen shacks Aang and Toph had made. Katara and Sokka tried to keep order as Toph yelled back at the fighters, and, as is customary in all brawls just starting out, someone threw a chair. Now everyone was up on their feet, screaming at each other.

It was escalating quickly, and Katara wished more than anything that Aang would show up and make everything right. She got her wish, but Aang didn't come to the rescue.

"SHUT UP! Everyone just shut up!"

A willowy, lithe figure stood with arms akimbo on the outskirts of the logs that served as seats. The whole camp fell silent, not even crickets dared to chirp in the face of the girl livid with rage.

"I thought that I had come with the Avatar to fight the forces of evil," she began menacingly, "But I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere because I must be in the Fire Nation. No self-respecting freedom fighters would argue like this, am I right?"

A mumbled chorus of "yes, ma'am" rang silently, like muted bells.

"I thought so," she sneered, and turned on heel and walked briskly away.

No one looked at each other for at least a minute. Aang stood by passively, surprised as the rest by Avalon's outburst. Katara was the first to speak.

"Well, I hope you're all pleased with yourselves," and she left to find Avalon.

Katara found her sitting in the top of a tree.

"Avalon," she called up.

Avalon looked down, "Hey, Katara," and she floated gracefully down to the ground to stand in front of one of her best friends, "Long time, no see."

Katara hugged her, and then said, "What were you doing up there?"

"Hmm? Oh, just cooling down. I got a lil … heated."

"Yeah, I noticed. You really cowed those guys."

"Yeah? Well, they needed it, the bunch of … sorry," she smiled apologetically.

"It's alright. So, why did you come?"

"I finally realized something," Avalon began. Katara waited patiently while she got her thoughts in order.

"I realized that eventually this war will destroy my home. And as long as I am able to, I gonna make sure it doesn't."

Katara nodded; finally Avalon had grown up enough to become wise in the ways of the world.

"How is Ruby Lake?"

Ruby Lake was the town that Avalon had spent some of her childhood in. It was a beautiful, homely place on the banks of Ruby Lake. It was called Ruby Lake for two reasons. One was because every night when the sun went down, no matter what time of year, the lake was dappled with varying colors of red from the sun's rays. The other reason was the man who had founded the town had also found a fortune of a ruby quarry, and his name was, ironically, Emerald.

"Eh, the place never changes," Avalon replied with a small smile, "Pappy and Mums where sad to see us go-"

"Us?" Katara interrupted.

"Uh huh, some others are coming to help the cause," and then under her breath, "Though I wish they wouldn't."

"What was that?" Katara had caught it.

"Nothing, it's just, I wish they wouldn't risk their lives like this."

"Nonsense, Avalon. You are, so why can't they?"

Avalon sighed; she had been defeated once again by Katara's ever-growing wisdom.

"I know. It just worries me. That town shouldn't have to lose anymore of its youth."

Katara knew without asking that Avalon was referring to herself and her friend Charlie, who had died some four years ago.

"You can't deny them the choice to fight," Katara reminded her softly.

"I know, I know," Avalon exasperated, "I just worry about them."

"Of course you do. If you didn't I might have to really worry about you," Katara joked, hoping to evoke a laugh, or at least a smile, from Avalon. Avalon smiled weakly, to placate her.

Shrugging off her failed attempt at light-heartedness, Katara plowed forward, "Where are they?"

"They'll be here in a day or so. I just came with Aang."

"Good then. Let's go back and formally introduce you to everyone else."

Here Katara got her laugh, but it was hard and scornful, and slightly worse than Avalon not laughing at all.

"Yeah, I'm positive we'll all become the best of friends," she satirized.

"We'll find out," Katara replied, glancing anxiously at this girl whom she thought she knew so well, but just kept throwing her curveballs.

**Author's note – I'm back!! And so is Avalon and the rest! I know you're all very excited, haha, so review and tell me what you thought. Talk to you later**

**Celtic Goddess of Fertility :**


	2. Trampled Under Foot

**Disclaimer : I don't own anything relating to my stories. Except for maybe Avalon. I'm pretty sure I own her. Other than that though, nothing. On with the story.**

Avalon bounced by Katara's side the whole five minute walk back to the encampment. Katara didn't question her, but she knew it wasn't jitters caused by facing the people she had so blatantly insulted earlier.

Avalon pulled Katara's arm, making her stop, right before they were about to enter back into the camp.

"Is he here?"

Katara knew who Avalon was referring to, and she nodded, too intimidated to say anything.

Avalon nodded back, and noted Katara's expression, "It's alright, Katara. Nothing is going to happen."

"Ok," Katara smiled, relieved that Avalon had her head screwed on nice and tight.

Avalon strode confidently into the camp, trying to hide her discomfort under poise. Everyone stared up at her. Toph approached, and apologized softly.

Avalon shook her head and smiled at Toph, and then wrapped her up in a big hug.

"It's great to see you, Toph. You never came to visit me."

"Um, sorry," stuttered an astonished Toph, "I, uh, didn't know you'd want me to."

"Of course I would've. Doesn't matter know but …" Avalon stopped abruptly. She had prepared herself for this, why was she choking now?

He stood there gazing at her, penetrating her defenses with his golden eyes. She swallowed loudly, unable to break the stare.

"Ok, everyone, time to go," Katara started ushering people away. They complied confusedly, and wandered off, glancing back at the pair. Toph tried to sidle out from Avalon's arms, but she held a death-grip on Toph's shoulders. Toph looked towards Katara with a meaningful, get-me-the-hell-outta-here expression on her face.

"Avalon?" Katara touched her shoulder gently.

"Hmm? What was that?" Avalon snapped back to reality. She released Toph's shoulders and started staring hard at her feet. When she gathered the courage to look up again, Zuko was gone.

It was as if he was a figment of her own imagination, a phantom that could appear and disappear at will. She almost giggled when she realized that that was her who did that.

"Avalon, I think you have to go talk to him," Katara suggested tenderly.

"What?! Why?!" There was an edge of hysteria in her voice.

"Because," Katara went on bravely, "otherwise you won't ever get over this."

Avalon hung her head again; she knew Katara was right. Blowing her cheeks out, and letting the air hiss through them, she glanced one more time at Katara, who pointed out the direction he had taken, and departed.

She found him easily. He had cut a swath through the woods and was sitting alone against a tree.

Avalon closed her eyes one more time, took a deep breath, readying herself, and turned tail and ran.

She arrived back to see Katara's disappointed face blaming her.

Avalon shook her head despondently, "I'm sorry, Katara. I couldn't."

Avalon seemed close to tears, so Katara lightened up, "It's ok, honey, it's ok."

Katara, a never-ending well of comfort, hugged her friend.

"You are going to have to do it though," she said.

"I know," Avalon replied morosely.

"Soon," Katara added.

Avalon grinned at Katara through her near-tears, "I know, Katara, I know."

"Good," Katara said briskly, "Then let's have Aang and Toph make you up a house, hm?"

"Sounds great. Do you think they could get me a feather-down mattress and maybe my own bathroom while they're at it?"

Katara smiled jovially. That was something pre-Zuko Avalon would say. Her cheeriness was cut short though. Avalon darted out of her arms, shouting something unintelligible.

Four figures were making their ways through the now-shadowy woods. Night was falling fast. Avalon leaped into the biggest of the four.

"You guys are fast!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, we just wanna fight," replied a scrawnier shape. Katara held her breath, afraid that Avalon would flip out, but she just laughed carelessly.

"So eager to die," she sighed breezily, and then she remembered the camp of people at her back.

"Everyone, these are some friends of mine from Ruby Lake."

A fire had been started in the fire pit, and the strangers were invited to sit on the logs and sip hot tea while they were being introduced.

"This," began Avalon, after everything had settled down, "is Steevo." Her hand was resting lightly on the broad shoulder of the big man. He was giant; his powerful frame wrapped in thick bands of muscles visible through his shirt.

"And how old are you, Steevo?" Aang asked in wonderment, gazing up at the goliath.

Steevo rumbled with laughter, "I'm 20, little man."

Avalon grinned at him, and then moved on to the Amazonic girl at his side. She was tall. Even sitting next to Steevo, who dwarfed Avalon so much she looked like a child, she was tall. Six feet, in fact. Her figure was slim and she had a ready smile. She had a wild mass of dark curls, and large, obsidian eyes set in a soft, pretty face.

"This is Jamie. She is 19. Aang." Everyone chuckled at Aang's extent.

"Man, what do they put in the water at Ruby Lake?" Sokka asked, "Miracle Gro?"

Another bout of laughter sprang up, even Avalon giggled at Sokka.

"And these two rascals are Fingers and Peanut," Avalon finished, waving her hand loftily towards the two scrawny boys, twins in fact.

"Fingers and Peanut?" Sokka repeated incredulously, "Sounds like their parents had a tad too much of the cactus juice during the naming process."

The circle tittered again, glancing at the two boys.

"That would have been hard for them to do," one of the boys said through the chuckles, "Seeing as they abandoned us as soon as we were born."

Sokka's mouth fell open, and he choked on the words he was going to say.

Jamie smacked Fingers or Peanut on the backside of the head, while Steevo rumbled again with laughter. Avalon put her head in her hands, but only to hide her smile.

"Ha! You were right, Avs, this is fun!"

It took Sokka a moment to grasp what was going on.

"Wait. I'm confused."

"It doesn't take much," Avalon muttered.

Sokka ignored her, "So, those are your names?"

"Nicknames, Sokka, nicknames," Avalon butted in, "And let me tell you why, because I know you're going to ask. Fingers here," indicating the one who had pulled the wool over Sokka's eyes, "is called Fingers for two reasons. The one he would like more known is that he is a brilliant pianist. Honestly, me on my …" Avalon stopped again; the words were too painful for her to say.

After a short silence, Toph probed, "And the other reason?"

Avalon continued, "The other reason is that he can't keep his hands outta other people's pockets. He is the most talented pickpocket I have ever known. And I've known a lot of pickpockets."

Jamie picked up where Avalon was content to stop, "Bu we have reined him in in the last few years. He at least gives back what he took."

"Sometimes," murmured the other, Peanut.

"And Peanut?" questioned Toph again.

Peanut answered himself, "I'm Peanut because-"

"He's Peanut because he's always the peanut gallery," interrupted Steevo, with another gigantic chuckle.

Sokka guffawed along with Steevo, and after the introductions, they really hit it off, Sokka bragging of his ingenious plans and Steevo boasting about how strong he was.

Everyone was hitting it off with the amiable Ruby Lakers. Avalon sat quietly next to Peanut, basking in the new friendships and good times. The Duke had some food heated up, and they ate and drank and laughed.

The good times came to a swift end though. Zuko walked into the camp sullenly, and Avalon's four friends fell into a menacing silence.

Zuko glanced up at them as he passed, and he halted in surprise.

The stony glares of the four strangers had honestly confused Zuko. Avalon was sitting on the other side, so Zuko couldn't see her. Toph nibbled anxiously on her lip while Katara wrung her hands out in apprehension.

"This the one?" Steevo grumbled forebodingly.

Avalon popped up from her hiding place almost begging, "Steevo," as Fingers shot up from his log seat like a gopher-bird from its hole.

Steevo glanced back at her, already cracking his knuckles.

"No." She hissed at him, simultaneously stepping in front of Fingers.

Jamie put her hand on Steevo's shoulder, trying to comfort him and constrain him at the same time.

Zuko bowed his head and hurried out of sight towards his cabin. Avalon sank back to her seat, head in hands, only this time it was disguising a deep frown, instead of a smile. No one breathed.

"Avalon," Steevo whispered.

"No, Steevo!" she shouted at him, her voice tainted with fury, "We talked about this, didn't we?! Just forget about it!"

For the second time that day, Katara began ushering people away.

"I can't, Avalon," Steevo retorted, his voice rising in anger, "It's inexcusable! I outta smash his head in for what he did to you!"

"No, damn it!" Avalon yelled, her tone raising a few decibels, "Stop it!"

A dead silence filled the now-empty circle, only Jamie remained at Steevo's side, rubbing his arm soothingly. Fingers stood bashfully next to him, trying to sink into the ground. Peanut just stood there.

"You know, Avalon, I wish you would mature enough to realize how this makes _us_ feel," Fingers blurted.

"Me?" Avalon gaped at him disbelief, unable to put together a whole sentence.

"Actually," Peanut popped in," It takes quite a level of maturity to attain that level of commitment and love."

"No one asked you," Fingers snapped at him.

"I'm just saying," Peanut mumbled.

"Oh, listen up everyone. The peanut gallery has a comment!"

"Stop it, you two," Jamie scolded them, delivering swift smacks to both of their heads, "Save the sibling fighting for later."

No one spoke for a few moments.

"It's not your battle," Avalon finally said, faintly, "It's mine, and mine alone. This is the last I want to hear about."

Steevo nodded dourly, and then he softened and pulled Avalon into a bear hug, "Sorry, Avs."

"Yeah, sorry," Fingers added sincerely.

Avalon smiled weakly, "It's ok, guys."

Zuko exhaled a loud breath. They turned to see who it was. Steevo's hands curled into tight fists.

"Avalon," Zuko said delicately, "I think we need to … talk."

"Not on my watch," Steevo snarled, and then recoiled from Avalon's hard slap.

"Go. Out of my sight," she barked back at them. They nodded complacently and, like puppy dogs that had been kicked, retreated.

Five minutes. Five whole minutes went by before either of them got the courage to speak.

"Sorry, um, 'bout the guys," Avalon mumbled.

"It's ok," Zuko responded.

Avalon nodded her head and bit her lip uncomfortably, "What do you need to talk about?"

"We need to talk this out if we are ever going to … coexist."

"I don't have anything else to say," Avalon retorted, suddenly sharp. No way was she letting him back in; she couldn't. It was probably psychically impossible.

Zuko gawked at her in shock, "I thought …" he stuttered, and then stopped.

"You thought what?" Avalon snapped at him, her body tensed to bolt at any moment.

"I thought you forgave me," he whispered.

"I did," Avalon replied harshly, "But that doesn't mean I have to like you."

On that note she turned and walked away, every pore on her body exuding scorn and hatred towards Zuko, her Sunshine that had been eclipsed long before the Day of Black Sun. Permanently.


	3. The Song Remains the Same

**Disclaimer : I don't own nothing.**

Avalon was gone. She had disappeared into the surrounding woods after her talk with Zuko.

Steevo was ready to pound Zuko's face in. He and Fingers had formed their own little hate group, and they sat around and bashed him. Neither of them were taking Avalon's veiled threat seriously, and a fight erupted after she had been discovered missing.

"I swear to whatever is up there watching over us," Steevo sneered, "I'm gonna hurt that _boy_."

"What was that?" came a low growl.

Steevo and Fingers whipped around to face Zuko, standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Somebody thinks he's a tough guy," Fingers sneered, "Let's find out."

"Let's" Zuko agreed. Two flames combusted in his palms, forming into little fire daggers.

"A Firebender?" Steevo blurted, "Ain't they the enemy?"

"Apparently," Fingers answered, referring to the immediate fight.

Zuko's upper lip lifted into a frightful sneer, his ruined face creasing into one of a child's imaginary monster.

Steevo rushed him head on, and Fingers maneuvered around to Zuko's back. This didn't faze the seasoned fighter, Zuko jumped into the air, sending two fireballs at the men. They both ducked easily, and Fingers came in with a low, sweeping kick that would've knocked Zuko off his feet if he weren't already in the air.

Zuko landed on Fingers' leg, purposely trying not to break it. Fingers howled in pain, and the yelp brought on a flurry of people, attempting to break the fight up. Katara whipped out a stream of water, but it was ignored by the inflamed, ignorant men.

They started circling each other, Steevo and Fingers right next to each other, and Zuko five feet away.

"Stop it!" Jamie cried, rushing in to try and pull Steevo back, "Stop it!"

He shook her off, and then peeked swiftly at Fingers, and they both charged Zuko. They ended up on their butts though, having ran into a force field. Zuko landed on his butt too, but he was hit by the wall that they had run into.

Avalon stepped into the middle, glaring venomously at Steevo and Fingers, and pointed in a southward direction.

"Go," she said; she didn't yell, she spoke in a quiet voice, "I never want to see your faces again."

They stared at her slack-jawed, and then picked themselves up and left, keeping their eyes locked on the ground ashamedly.

Avalon dropped her face into her palm, let out a huge sigh, and then offered Zuko a hand up.

"Sorry, again," she said, quietly enough so that only he could hear, "I warned them."

"It's alright," Zuko replied, taken aback by her unexpected kindness.

She dropped his hand as if the fire was still burning there after he had risen to his feet. She brushed her hand on her pants, wiping it of any possible cooties that had transferred in the two seconds they had touched. She sniffed brusquely and walked away from him.

Jamie approached her carefully. She debated to herself whether to talk or not, decided that she had a good chance of making it out alive if Avalon were to bite her head off, and dove in.

"Listen, Avalon," she began warily, "They were just being stupid."

"Yeah," Avalon agreed, interrupting Jamie's speech. She gathered herself, and then continued.

"Maybe I should go and get them. I'm sure they both feel like crap."

"They should."

"Yeah, yeah, you're totally right. But they only did it because they love you. And you know that."

"Doesn't matter."

"What?"

"That they love me. It doesn't matter."

Jamie sighed; this was going to be harder than she thought.

"Just let them come back. Please?"

"Fine. I don't care."

Jamie exhaled the breath she hadn't remembered holding.

"Ok, I'll go get them."

"No, I will," Avalon got up and stalked off in the direction they had gone in. Jamie nibbled on her nail, but didn't follow.

Steevo and Fingers were sitting forlornly on the ground, hopelessly lost after only ten minutes of traversing through the woods.

"Get up," Avalon commanded, scaring the pants of the two men. They sprang t their feet like daisies after a spring rain.

Avalon led them back to the camp silently. Neither Steevo nor Fingers had the balls to say anything to her.

Right before they were safe within the confines of the camp, Avalon halted. She turned around to glare at them.

"I mean it now. If something like this happens again, you will go home. If I even _dream_ that you two are plotting something or insulting him, I will kick your asses all the way back to Ruby Lake. Got it?"

"Yeah," they both said humbly.

"Good."

"Avs, we're real sorry about what we did," Steevo said.

"Yeah, do you still love us?" Fingers added.

Avalon puffed out a breath of air, ran her fingers through her shoulder length blonde hair, and didn't answer. Her face grew miserable, not angry, just sad. She shrugged her shoulders wearily.

She left them standing there, and they looked at each other.

"That was a yes, right?" Fingers asked.

"I don't know," Steevo responded, "In her way, I think so."

They made a beeline for Zuko, sitting alone by the fire pit. He stayed sitting, but his body tensed. They sat down on either side of him. Avalon turned a hawk's eye on them, and Fingers smiled reassuringly at her.

"Sorry about that, pal," Steevo apologized, "Truce?"

He held out his giant's hand and Zuko looked up at his face, trying to decipher if he was being sincere or not. He smiled slightly at him, and shook his hand.

"Truce."

Then he shook Fingers' hand. Avalon shook her head, smiling vaguely, and went to go make herself useful somewhere else.

Later that night, almost the entire camp was chilling around a bonfire. Katara was sitting next to Avalon, and she began questioning her about what had gone down earlier.

Avalon told her readily, and Katara asked if any more trouble could be expected.

"I don't think so," Avalon replied.

Katara glanced quickly at Steevo, with his large hands and muscles, and she said, "I really hope not."

"They are great guys," Avalon said with a small laugh, "They just get a little rowdy."

Katara raised her eyebrows, and then carried on to the subject she was really wondering about.

"Your talk went badly then?"

"You could say that." They were talking in hushed voices, not even Aang, at Katara's other side, could hear them.

"What happened?"

"I was just being a grade-A bitch."

"Why?"

"Can't we talk about this at another time?"

"No, otherwise you won't tell me at all," Katara pouted.

Avalon closed her eyes resignedly and said, "I will. I promise. Just not here."

"Ok," Katara gave in doubtingly.

"Anybody seen Zuko?" Fingers asked, and everyone looked at him suspiciously. "I'm just wondering," he tacked onto the end.

"I haven't," Aang replied, "But he usually doesn't get into these 'group' things."

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Zuko materialized out of the darkness, standing right on the edge of the firelight. He searched the circle of faces, until he found Avalon. He looked at his feet as he addressed her.

"Avalon?"

Avalon went into bitch mode, "What?" she asked snarkily.

Zuko gasp again at her hardness, but pressed onwards, "I … need to give you something."

Avalon glared at him, her expression full of hate. But as Katara stared at her friend, she saw not the hate, but fear. It confused her; she didn't understand what Avalon had to fear.

On the surface, Avalon was brimming over with hate, but Katara had dug deeper than that, and found an underlying sense of trepidation. She carefully filed it in the "Questions for Avalon" corner of her mind.

Zuko tore his gaze from his feet long enough to scan the faces surrounding him. He saved hers for last. Like Katara, he saw that same frightened look. His lips pulled up into a half of a smile, and he held out an oblong, black object.

"Here. I thought you might want this back."

Avalon gasped loudly. She stared at Zuko uncomprehendingly for a moment, before leaping through the bonfire to cradle the black guitar case in her arms.

Zuko stepped away from her and disappeared again.

Avalon popped open the latches, and retrieved her guitar tenderly. She sat down next to two big fighters, and started strumming the strings wistfully.

Avalon was in a daze for the rest of the night. All she did was caress her oldest friend lovingly and tune it and play little ditties, never singing, only playing. She fell asleep that night clutching the guitar, strumming its strings even in her sleep.

Maybe this won't be that bad, she thought as her mind drifted lazily. Anything is possible when I have my guitar in my hands.

Her last thought before sleep numbed her mind was that she felt the best she had since Ba Sing Se. A hole had been filled in her empty heart. She smiled, genuinely, to herself, a real, happy smile. And all because of her guitar. But more importantly, the music, such a huge part of her former life, that it resembled.


	4. Behind Blue Eyes

**Disclaimer : The usual :D I don't own Avatar.**

"Come on, Avs! Play us something!"

"Yeah!"

"Please?"

Avalon shook her head assertively, "No."

"Why not?" Sokka pestered.

"Because," Avalon laughed at him, refusing anymore reason than that. Her face aglow with the light of the campfire, it was easy to mistake her for someone she used to be.

"What'll it hurt?" Sokka harassed.

"Listen, Sokka, and everyone else for that matter, I'm just not … ready."

Avalon dropped her eyes to the ground, and the fire seemed to shush its crackling. Silence descended upon them like an avalanche. In just one moment, a breezy, playful conversation had dropped like a lead weight, bringing everyone down with it.

Sokka bit his bottom lip nervously, hoping against hope he had not ruined the whole evening.

Steevo, sitting next to Sokka, punched him playfully in the arm and suggested, "Hey Sokka, why don't you sing us something?"

"Oh, believe me, you do NOT want to here that!" Toph exclaimed, taking the opportunity to bring the joviality back. Everyone, even Avalon, laughed at him.

"I frankly don't know what _you're_ talking about, Toph. You sound like nails scratching on a chalkboard," Sokka replied nonchalantly.

"Me? What about Aang? When he starts to sing, even the sloth-rabbits, with their ears so full of mud they can't hear a darned thing, run."

"Ha!" Aang exclaimed, "You're just jealous because I can hit the high notes!"

"Yeah, jealous," Toph agreed, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No, no, no, the worst singer in the whole wide world is undoubtedly Fingers," Peanut cut in, "He can't carry a tune farther than Avalon can carry Steevo. And believe me, I would know. I been listening to him since we was back in the womb."

"At least I can dance," Fingers grinned at his brother, his arms waving around smoothly, like an electrical current had been run through them.

"If you call that dancing!" Jamie laughed in his face.

Avalon snuck quietly away from the merriment. Only Katara noted her departure.

Walking alone in the cool, crisp night air, Avalon tried to keep her mind as blank and steady as possible. Being alone was never good for her, because then she would start to think, and as all roads lead to Ba Sing Se, all of her thoughts lead right to Zuko. They seemed to be attracted like a magnet to the memories she held stored, ones that she had repressed, but never forgotten.

The stars glittered above her, winking at her as she passed under them. She began to think about what it would be like to be a star, never having to worry about anything, no responsibilities except to show up every night and sparkle like diamonds. It would be a nice life.

Better than hers. She couldn't complain really, her life had not been all that strenuous or difficult, at least she knew people worse of than her. Like people who were dead.

And yet, was she any better off? A heart that could not muster another beat; a mind that refused to see it. It was all a giant act, some cruel god was writing a script that she had no choice but to read, seeing the words and speaking them vacantly. She had them all fooled, even scrutinizing Katara. And the only one who knew her well enough to realize the emptiness that consumed her didn't seem to care.

The train of thought was squashed as soon as its faint utterance had turned in that direction. Avalon shook her head, denying it the opportunity to continue.

"Avalon," Katara whispered. She had left shortly after Avalon, swiftly lying about some dishes she remembered that needed cleaning.

Avalon's head shot up to see Katara's eyes gazing concernedly at the tears that were streaking down Avalon's face. She hadn't even realized that her eyes had let go of their burdens, her senses too numb to detect them.

"Are you alright?"

Avalon considered that question easily the most pointless in the history of mankind. Obviously she wasn't, or no one would ask. She simply did not reply, finding that the best answer she could give.

Katara sat down, and patted the ground next to her, beckoning Avalon to join. Avalon sat down stiffly, mechanically.

"You owe me an answer," Katara reminded her. Avalon didn't need reminding though.

"Katara," she exasperated, but couldn't finish. She saw no reason why not to tell Katara, but she was afraid that once she said it out loud, it would be concrete, final. It already was, it always would be, but if she let it out, she couldn't hide from it any longer.

"What?" Katara prodded gently, "You can tell me."

Fight-or-flight had kicked in, and suddenly Avalon was desperate for either.

"Fine," she snapped harshly, "if you want a one-way ticket to my hell hole of an existence, fine by me. Just don't expect you can take your magic healing powers and make everything rainbows and sunshine. You know, Katara, there are some things you can't fix, so just give up. Not everything is as perfect as it is in your little world"

Katara's eyes widened in shock and hurt. Avalon read them as clearly as a mid-summer's day, but her fear devoured her mind, eating away at it.

"So leave me the hell alone."

Katara sat stock-still, shock coursing through her bloodstream, making it impossible to move. Avalon got up and tramped away, her footsteps echoing with fury.

Katara sat quietly for the next few minutes, not in bewilderment, but in contemplation. She had grown accustomed to these outbursts, and she knew how to decipher them and strip them down to the core of what Avalon really meant.

She had been unusually spiteful, meaning that Katara had stumbled upon a sore spot, and she was pressing hard. There was also an underlying anguish and Katara was more than curious to know why. She gave Avalon another minute, and then tracked her to a cliff overhang.

Avalon was standing at the very edge, looking down at the forest that sprawled beneath her. Katara came up and stood next to her, waiting patiently for Avalon to speak. Her intuition told her not to press anything, hoping that Avalon would tell her of her own accord, knowing Katara would never be able to force it out of her. Katara felt a shift in the air around her, and glanced at Avalon.

The two sets of blue eyes, as different as could be, stared at one another. One pair was full of a comforting light, trying to understand the inner workings of a friend.

The other may as well have been a bloody red. An open gash sunk from her eyes to her heart, baring all. Behind those blue eyes was pain that Katara could compare nothing to.

"I still love him, Katara."

Katara was forced to look away from Avalon's bleeding orbs, the intensity in them overwhelming her.

"That's the worst part. My mind, my physical body, my whole being repels him. I see him, and my stomach says it should be throwing up. My fists tell me to pummel him. My mouth tells me to spit at him. My legs tell me to run. But somewhere in there, a little shred is all that's left of my heart, and it beats only for him."

An unbreakable silence fell upon the forest. Katara, always ready to remedy any situation, always with an answer, could say nothing.

"And I don't know what to do."

Katara did not know either; these were uncharted waters for her.

"Let it out," she eventually suggested, after giving her words much thought, "You let your emotions out differently than anyone else. When someone else would giggle, you would soar off into the sky in rapture. When they are ashamed, you simply disappear. When they cry, you strum a guitar. And when they experience any strong emotion, that can make or break, you write a song. So that's what I say, write the pain away, play it away, sing it away."

Avalon smiled through the now-flooding tears that came with any profound sentiment.

"Katara," she sniffed, "I think that may be the best advice I have ever heard."

"Glad I can help," Katara smiled, squeezing Avalon's shoulder, and then pulling her into a much-needed hug. Katara left her there on the edge of the cliff, finally thinking clearly.

Katara did not stay awake waiting for Avalon to return. It was well past midnight when she snuggled into her warm sleeping bag, no sign of Avalon, but the next morning she was there, up before any of them. Katara wondered if she had gotten any sleep at all, and hoped so fervently. In such a trying emotional period Avalon needed her sleep more than most.

Katara's fears were in vain; Avalon seemed to be wide awake and reading from some old scripts.

She smiled meekly at Katara as she passed on her way to breakfast.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Katara asked.

Avalon bobbed her head up and down, "Fine," and buried her nose in the reading.

"Katara!" Aang called out to her. Katara turned around and smiled at him. He was sprinting towards her. Katara marveled at his graceful lope. What had happened to the awkward boy he had been a little over a year ago? Then he would have tripped over his ungainly feet and landed sprawling at her feet, forever in adoration of her.

Now, his refined dash came to an even more polished stop in front of her. Katara had not noticed it until that instant, but Aang was taller than her. She had to look up at him now.

Hands behind his back and a wide grin on his never-changing face, Aang stared down into her eyes.

"I brought you some flowers," he said shyly, thrusting the daisies at Katara, "For your room."

"Oh, Aang, they're beautiful!" Katara exclaimed joyfully. She could not remember the last time he had done something like this for her. She had figured he had given up on her. She tried to remember why she had held him off for all this time. Rapid thoughts passed through her brain, trying to make themselves known and yet hide at the same time.

Gumming up the works, Katara recalled, that was her excuse. How lame, she thought.

"Your welcome," he beamed.

A chorus of "oohs" rose up from Peanut and Fingers, sitting side by side on the ground. A rosy red sprung into Aang's cheeks, and he sidled away from Katara, eyes down. Her conversation with Avalon fresh in her mind, Katara inspired herself take the plunge.

"Hey," she called after Aang, "I wasn't done thanking you."

And with that she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down towards her, kissing him softly on the lips. The twins averted their eyes; some things were even too private for them.

"Wow," Aang gasped, out of breath, "I should get you flowers more often."

Katara laughed and hugged her dearest friend. Aang slipped his hand into hers, no matter how old he got his hand was always as smooth as a moose-lion cub's underbelly. Katara felt like she ought to have been fifty feet in the air, soaring through the clouds like Avalon.


	5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

**Disclaimer : I don't own any part of Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

Zuko lay on his small, uncomfortable bed, eyes half-closed, on the verge of sleeping. The sun was at its peak in the noonday sky. It had been a lazy day so far. A few hours of training with Aang and another doing some pointless chores. That was it. No glorious battle plans in the making, no rumors of an invasion force on its way. Zuko sighed, how boring. His breathing got steadier and steadier. He stayed as still as possible, trying to give off the illusion of sleep, so as to deter the visitor that was waiting just outside his door.

Zuko was not in a talking mood. Not that he ever really was, but not today especially. For on this damned day, an entire year ago, Zuko had ruined his life. Sure, he had risen from his ashes and made something of himself, helping the world regain its peace, fighting against his own nation; he never would have seen this coming a year ago.

But his life, his own, personal existence, was almost meaningless. He was one hundred percent positive that he would never be able to love anyone again, now that he knew exactly how much he was capable of hurting people. The only thing keeping him here now was training the Avatar. And, realistically, how long would it take for the student to become the master? When that happened, Zuko would become completely worthless to the world, and he intended for his life to stop at that point.

No one knew of his plans for his bleak future. Zuko had kept them carefully under wraps around the perceptive group of people that he surrounded himself with.

The sound of light footsteps in Zuko's darkened room broke his reverie. He whipped his head up to snap at whoever was responsible for "waking" him, but his words caught in his throat, half choking him.

Avalon, caught in a spider's web of emotion, turned her back to dart out the door.

"No!" Zuko called out. Avalon stood silently for a moment, before pivoting to face him again.

"Listen," she began, and then a gate opened and her words spilled out in a flood, "I just wanted to thank you for bringing back my guitar and everything. It was unexpected and, yeah, so thanks. I mean, it was really, really unexpected …"

"It's yours," Zuko interrupted.

"What?"

"It's your guitar. Why wouldn't I give it back to you?"

"Well, I don't know," Avalon stuttered, "You got it re-stringed perfectly and everything …so yeah..."

"You told me once what the strings were made out of," Zuko shrugged.

"Yeah, a long time ago," they both flinched, "and there is a lot of stuff you had to have remembered. So thanks."

"You're welcome."

Avalon grimaced to herself, and left quickly.

Katara ambushed her the moment she set foot outside the door.

"Well? How'd I go?"

"Awkward."

Katara waited for more.

"That was it," Avalon said, "Just really, really awkward."

"And that's it?" Katara pressed.

"What more did you want?" Avalon asked, a note of sarcasm apparent in her voice.

"Well, I don't know, something more."

"I'm sorry that you're not satisfied with _my business_ but, well, you're going to have to learn how to deal with it," Avalon snapped, her voice now almost tangible with sarcasm.

"Sorry, sorry," Katara said immediately, backing away.

"It's … alright," Avalon grimaced again, her fingers massaging her temples, "I'm just a little … stressed."

Katara bobbed her head up and down, trying to leave inconspicuously.

Avalon laughed though, stopping Katara in her tracks, "So, you and Aang, huh? Finally."

Avalon was grinning ear to ear. Katara smiled with her and nodded again.

"So, how does it feel kissing the most powerful man on earth?"

Avalon was laughing still, but Katara was hung up on her words. Avalon had described Aang as a "man". Of course, he was, Katara thought, but you don't have to say it. It made her uncomfortable to think of him like that. In fact, she hadn't even thought about their kiss since it had happened.

Avalon had stopped laughing, and was growing more and more concerned with Katara's silence.

"Um …" she muttered, "I'm not as good with this whole words thing as you are so … yeah."

Katara shook herself out of it, "It's fine. I just, whoa, got the full force of what you said."

Avalon smiled unsurely, "Yeah, well, I'll see you later then."

Katara barely moved her head in acknowledgment. When Avalon had first called him a "man", Katara's breath had been restricted in her lungs, like a snake-rabbit was strangling her. But now, after some more thought, her mind warmed up to the idea, and Katara started smiling hugely. She was not only in love with a boy, but a man.

_Later that night_

Sitting around the campfire, Avalon was on trial. Or at least, that's how she felt.

What had she done to deserve this? She scoffed to herself and drowned out the voices bitching at her.

"Well, what do you have a guitar for, if you're never going to use it?"

"Yeah, it's pretty much just firewood now. Better watch out."

"_Hello!!_ Campfire, good times, music! It all ties together."

"Please play us something, Avalon. You said you had written some new things."

"Yeah, let's hear something new!"

Avalon shook her head, refusing to speak to them.

"Pleeeeeease?" Fingers and Peanut, along with Toph, Sokka and Aang, stared at her with big, puppy dog eyes, moaning out the e in please simultaneously.

Here, Avalon broke her silence with laughter. Tears were streaming from her eyes when she could speak again, "Okay, did you guys, like, plan that or something? Do you get together and practice it after we've all gone to sleep? 'Cause it was freaky. I know the twins there have their twinny thing going on, but what about you others?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact we do practice it," Sokka snickered, "Twice a week and always on Wednesdays. Sometimes we even have casual Fridays."

Avalon roared with laughter, the pure sound drowning out all others. For Zuko, that laugh was as strong as a siren call.

"Fine, fine, just for that I'll play you some."

After the applause settled down, Avalon coughed to herself self-consciously, "Just so you know, these have never really been played so they might be crappy."

"Yeah right, just play," Steevo urged her.

"Fine, fine." And with no more intro than that and the few bars of guitar, Avalon started to sing, in what felt like the first time in eons.

The beginning bars were simple and bright, almost springy, yet beautiful. When she started to sing, her voice was strong and confident.

_"A winter's day __  
In a deep and dark December __  
I am alone __  
Gazing from my window __  
To the streets below __  
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow _

_I am a rock __  
I am an island _

_I've built walls __  
A fortress deep and mighty __  
That none may penetrate __  
I have no need for friendship __  
Friendship causes pain __  
__It's laughter and it's loving I disdain._****

Here, traces of hurt and anger and disdain tainted her words. Her eyes were shut tight, trying not to go back to the place she was describing.

_I am a rock __  
__I am an island _

_Don't talk of love __  
__Well, I've heard the word before __  
__It's sleeping in my memory __  
__I won't disturb the slumber__  
__Of feelings that have died __  
__If I'd never loved, __  
__I never would have cried _

_I am a rock __  
__I am an island _

_I have my books __  
__And my poetry to protect me __  
__I am shielded in my armor __  
__Hiding in my room __  
__Safe within my womb __  
__I touch no-one and no-one touches me _

_I am a rock __  
__I am an island __  
__And the rock feels no pain __  
__And an island never cries"_

The last words of the song were whispered, almost too hurtful even to say. Silence followed the song, but Peanut, of course, started a slow clap.

Soon he was standing, but no one else had the urge to join him. Winks had gone through the circle. The joke was on. Avalon started to snicker, and then full out laugh. Everyone joined her, and Peanut sat back down dejectedly.

"Aw, Peanut, thanks. At least someone liked it," Avalon said brightly, trying to cheer him up. She was in on the joke, even if it hadn't been planned out.

"Let's have another one then," Peanut suggested, "because my feelings right now are just so hurt."

"Alright, one more," Avalon agreed.

This song started out much differently. Even the slow strums of the guitar sounded depressed. Avalon seemed to be crying out when she sang, causing a chill to sneak up everyone's back. Her powerful words seemed to open up long healed wounds in everyone else's hearts. Her very soul was bleeding out.

"_Is it getting better?  
Or do you feel the same?  
Will it make it easier on you now?  
You got someone to blame  
You say_

_One love  
One life  
When it's one need  
In the night  
One love  
We get to share it  
Leaves you baby if you  
Don't care for it_

_Did I disappoint you?  
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?  
You act like you never had love  
And you want me to go without  
Well it's_

_Too late  
Tonight  
To drag the past out into the light  
We're one, but we're not the same  
We get to  
Carry each other  
Carry each other  
One_

_Have you come here for forgiveness?  
Have you come to raise the dead?  
Have you come here to play Jesus?  
To the lepers in your head_

_Did I ask too much?  
More than a lot.  
You gave me nothing,  
Now it's all I got  
We're one  
But we're not the same  
Well we  
Hurt each other  
Then we do it again  
You say  
Love is a temple  
Love a higher law  
Love is a temple  
Love the higher law  
You ask me to enter  
But then you make me crawl  
And I can't be holding on  
To what you got  
When all you got is hurt_

_One love  
One blood  
One life  
You got to do what you should  
One life  
With each other  
Sisters  
Brothers  
One life  
But we're not the same  
We get to  
Carry each other  
Carry each other_

_One_

_One"_

Now, there were no jokes, no slow clap attempts, no winks passed around. Every single pair of eyes except Avalon's were staring fearfully behind her. Avalon was quick to notice, and turned to see what they were looking at, her mind panicking. Was it Azula, snuck up behind her during her song, hand raised for the killing strike?

Nope, it was worse. Zuko stood, slack-jawed behind Avalon. His eyes were as wide as they would go, the scar contorted to fit the expression. Here it was, everything he had done, laid out before him like a feast made only with poisoned food sitting in front of a starving man.

He was paralyzed to his spot. With every atom of his being, Zuko wished he would spontaneously combust so he wouldn't have to see all the accusing eyes and, even worse, the one pair of bleeding ones. He had a knife here somewhere, all he had to do was whip it out and drive it through his heart. That was nothing compared to what he had done in the past. It was easy, compared to all that. But that was it, easy. He would take the easy way out, leaving the rest on an even harder road.

He couldn't do that to them. Not to spirited Toph, or sweet Katara, or protective Sokka, or energetic Aang. Or, especially, to his damaged Avalon. Yes, she was his. She always would be, at least to him. He wouldn't add his self-induced death to the list of pains he already had caused her. He wouldn't, not now, not ever.

Stunned and scared, Avalon ran off into the surrounding forest.

**Author's note - Two songs in this one**

**I am a Rock by the immortal Simon and Garfunkel and**

**One by U2 ... thanks for reading :D reviews are always welcome!**


	6. Wearing and Tearing

**Disclaimer : I don't own nuffin' :D**

Avalon was surprisingly calm as she fled. There was no hyperventilation, no tears even. She felt detached, as though everything that had happened had really been in a play that she was watching, back at the grand opera house in Ba Sing Se.

She just hoped no one would come after her. That was ridiculous, of course. But she could hope.

Maybe it's the cool, night air; Avalon thought idly, that is keeping me so calm. I would've bet ten gold coins that I'd be crying right now. Hm, maybe that means I'm over it. She laughed, wouldn't that be nice.

Aang was about 100 feet below her. Avalon sighed, that was faster than usual. He kept his distance, though, so Avalon kept going. He was just keeping tabs on her. Sometime in the night, Avalon grew tired, and fell asleep on the hard ground. The next morning she woke up to see her guardian angel bent over a fire.

"Hey Aang," she greeted him groggily.

"Hey Avalon," he grinned nervously.

Avalon giggled at him, "Aang, I'm fine, really."

"You're sure?"

"Yup."

" … Um, sorry."

"About what?"

"Burning your breakfast," Aang grinned sheepishly.

Avalon stared at the black lumps on the ground next to him and then laughed again.

"Don't worry about it. I'll make something up. Where are we?" she asked as she started sorting out the few things Aang hadn't incinerated.

"Um, I don't really know," Aang admitted, "Pretty far away, though."

"Mm'k," Avalon yawned, ridding herself of the last remnants of sleep. They ate in silence.

"Well, you ready to get back?" Avalon asked, her mouth turning down.

"We don't have to," he said, "Not if you don't want to," he added quickly.

Avalon smiled thankfully, "Okay, let's not. It might be kinda nice to fly with company." They took of aimlessly, neither knowing where to go, just going. Around noon, Avalon signaled for Aang to land.

"We probably should head back," she suggested worriedly.

Aang nodded," Um, do you know where to go?"

Avalon shook her head. The wind had picked up, blowing in big, gray, storm clouds. The forest whipped around them.

"Can't you use your Avatar powers and point us in the right direction?"

"No," Aang scoffed, "What do I look like? A compass?"

"Yeah, actually you do," Avalon shoved his shoulder playfully. Aang chuckled and pushed her back.

Avalon sighed, "I guess we'll just keep going then."

Hopelessly lost, they wandered through the blue skies above the storm. All of a sudden, Avalon flew right next to Aang and grabbed his arm. To Aang's shock, he did not start falling, as expected. Avalon kept him buoyant and floating. They stood suspended in air.

"What is it?" Aang asked, surprised.

"Down there," Avalon whispered. She was pointing down to the ground, shrouded in the clouds that had already shed their rain and were heading off to their next destination, "Listen."

Aang listened hard; even his face listened, creasing for better concentration. Avalon laughed to herself silently; here was the only hope for the world. This boy who looks like he's got some major digestive issues. But Avalon knew better than to mock him. She had seen him in his full power, and that was nothing to laugh at.

Far down below, hammers sounded. The clanks reverberated all the way to Aang and Avalon.

"I'm gonna go see what that is," Avalon whispered, "Stay here."

She disappeared into the misty cloud hiding the ground. What it revealed made Avalon's teeth clench together. Fire Nation. Bastards.

They had prisoners working on a straight line of metal that reached far into the horizon, disappearing over the edge. There was a machine on it, full of supplies, it looked like. Avalon almost threw up when she realized who was down there.

Slaving away in the desolateness of the Earth Kingdom, far away from any civilization, were people she knew. She knew that big boy wielding that giant hammer. She knew the bent, old man with the funny hair trying to lift his. She knew the strong, brave man who would always stand tall, no matter where he stood. The prisoners from the invasion on the Day of Black Sun.

Avalon shot back up to Aang, determination freezing her eyes into icicles.

"Avalon? What is it?" Aang asked, after she had grabbed his arm.

Avalon had to force her jaw open so she could talk.

"Hakoda. And the rest," she spat out in clipped words, as if the time they were wasting was killing their friends.

"Are you sure?" Aang asked, the question pointless.

Avalon whipped her head up and down curtly. They silently contemplated the situation. Who knows where they were, or how they could find their way back. In both of their minds, there seemed to be only one option.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Aang glanced at her. Avalon grinned at him toothily.

"We could take 'em" she responded.

"Let's go," Aang took off, hurtling towards the ground. Avalon hooted, her blood starting to boil. She was hot in pursuit of Aang, howling a wordless cry. Reckless elation pumped through her veins. Only a very tiny part of her brain that actually listened and absorbed what Katara always said nagged at her. The rest of her brain just kicked the little Katara into a closet and locked the door.

These past few months had seen many changes in Avalon. Some obvious, and some not as much. Fighting, that was a big difference. She had learned not to suppress her rage, but to channel it into and out of her nunchaku.

Down on the ground, the soldiers scampered around in confusion. One minute it was just a peaceful, normal day working on this new project, a system that was supposed to take one across the whole Earth Kingdom in a matter of hours, and the next two howling warriors had materialized out of the clouds.

The left-behind invasion force caught on immediately to what was happening. The Earth benders split their chains and they engaged passing soldiers, taking them out with swift low kicks and tripping them up their chains.

Avalon and Aang landed amidst the chaos, Avalon whirring her nunchaku around like a maniac, and Aang using all four of the elements at his power to free the prisoners. The initial fight didn't last very long. The remaining soldiers, who were more of guards really, fled into the wood.

The joyous greetings were cut short. Another contingent of soldiers broke out of the woods, this one more skilled and numerous. The tide instantly turned.

Avalon wound up fighting back to back with Aang. Desperation decided her next move.

"Messed this one up, didn't we?" she yelled back to him.

"Yeah, we did. Katara is gonna be pissed," Aang shouted, trying to smile through the hopelessness.

Avalon paused to smack someone hard across the face, "Aang, you gotta get outta here!"

"What!?"

"Get these guys and yourself outta here! Now! I'll hold 'em off and then follow you!"

"Are you sure?"

"Do we have a choice?"

Aang thwacked someone over the head with his staff, "I'm not gonna leave you!" he decided.

"You have to. Don't worry, I'll be right behind."

Aang, still undecided, began to shake his head at her. But Avalon was gone, disappeared from sight. Aang sighed, she was right, what choice did he have?

Avalon snuck invisibly to where to Hakoda and his brave friends were grouped fighting in a circle.

"Hey," she shouted above the ruckus, "HEY!"

"What?" Hakoda, his face shining with sweat and a glimpse of freedom, replied.

"Running! Going on three!"

Hoping to hell that everyone had heard her, Avalon cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed as loud as she could. Unfortunately for the Fire Nation soldiers, who figured they had this revolt squashed after Avalon screamed the plan, "going on three" actually meant going on one.

"One!" And everyone took off. The startled army made an attempt to chase them, but was blocked by a force field. Avalon, hands raised in front of her in concentration, put all of her waning energy into the last desperate stab at liberty. Leaping like gazelles into the woods, the invasion force that should have come home a year earlier finally escaped to freedom. Avalon smiled grimly, dropping her arms in exhaustion. Now was the time to see what would happen to her.

As expected, the soldiers charged her. Avalon leapt vainly into the air, trying to get some height. Her body just wouldn't listen though.

Too tired, her mind told the rest of her.

Shut the hell up, her body shot back.

There's no way, her mind sighed.

Don't say that. Never say that! Her body cried as it crumpled to the ground, hit in the back of her knees.

And then her mind did shut up, as did the rest of her, unconscious and unaware of the world.

**Author's Note - Hey, it's been a while since I left one of these. Just wanted some more feedback on the story because I'm not getting any. I hope everyone's enjoying it, but there's no way to know unless you review. Please?**


	7. For Your Life

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar – The Last Airbender.**

Aang paced back and forth, back and forth. It had been at least two hours since he had returned to the camp and there was still no sign of Avalon. Everyone had been surprised and overjoyed when Aang came marching back at the head of the warriors, Katara and Sokka especially. Everyone was sleeping now, except for Aang. He hadn't said a word about Avalon, knowing it would cause too much commotion.

Aang pricked up his ears. Footsteps, in the woods. He stood there gazing hopefully into the forest trying to get a glimpse of Avalon trotting home.

"Aang?" came a voice behind him. The footsteps had stopped. Aang whirled around and stood face to face with Zuko.

"Um, yeah," Aang replied, trying to keep his voice from shaking. He really didn't want to explain this to Zuko, knowing he would go off like a firecracker.

"What are you doing up so late?"

"Uh, nothing," Aang said, shaking his head nonchalantly. Zuko's forehead creased and his one eyebrow furrowed.

"It's Avalon," Aang blurted, and then squeezed his eyes shut.

"What about her?" Zuko asked through clenched teeth. He was painfully aware that she had not returned since two nights ago, when he had snuck up during a song he could only assume was about him.

Aang's words came out in a flood, "Well, see, it was me and her that freed these guys, right, and then she said she'd hold off the soldiers and meet us back here, only she hasn't come back yet, so now I'm worried and I never should've left her and it's all my fault."

Zuko stood still, processing the information. Finally he said, "Where?"

"At least five miles south of us," Aang answered in a whisper.

"Right," Zuko nodded and dashed off into the woods.

"Zuko! No!" Aang called vainly after him. He was torn apart. Of course, he should go with Zuko because it was his fault she had been captured, but he had an obligation to fill here. Aang bit his lip and turned to go find Katara and explain the situation in full.

* * *

Avalon was wrenched back into the world, fireworks exploding across her back.

"Aarghhh," she choked. A sharp crack was her only warning against the ensuing pain.

"Cut the hell out," she snapped thoughtlessly and was rewarded with another whiplash. Avalon was tied around a small tree, her hands wrapped around it, hugging it.

"Had enough?" asked a voice more painful to her ears than the whip snapping across her back.

"That all you got?" Avalon impulsively laughed.

"A bit more vocal this time around, aren't we?" Azula asked, her voice as sweet as a spider-vulture going in for the kill, "Well, I suggest you keep that mouth shut. It's getting you into more trouble."

"I suggest you _go to hell_."

Azula laughed as she tattooed another bloody line onto Avalon's back. After that furious round of lashing died down, Azula yelled at the soldiers smirking on either side of Avalon.

"Untie her," Azula commanded, "I'm sure she'll get more later."

As Avalon slumped to the ground, Azula bent over to whisper in her ear.

"Now, take some time and think about what you want to tell me about the Avatar and my brother, m'mk? And maybe your punishment won't be terribly torturous. You might just die quickly."

Avalon glanced at Azula, and giggled once. The giggle avalanched into a full-blown belly laugh. Azula fumed, the steam literally rising from her skin, and smacked Avalon hard. The slap didn't derail the laughter though. Avalon laughed once or twice more, wiped the moisture from her eyes, and spit right into Azula's face.

A tooth rocketed out of Avalon's mouth, surprising even her. Azula delicately wiped the blood and spit off of her face, a look of utter loathing twisting her already twisted features.

"You will die for that. Slowly and painfully." The words were pounded into Avalon accompanied by another smack.

"Aren't you tough, threatening a defenseless prisoner," Avalon shot her mouth off again. It had taken a mind of its own, fed up with how hers was running things.

Azula turned abruptly and stalked away, hands clenched tight at her sides.

An intense pain in Avalon's left cheek finally pushed its way to the front of her thoughts. She spit another tooth out, and then another. There was lots of blood, too much for her liking, and more coating her back.

A stray thought wandered aimlessly through her brain. Damn, people are gonna think I'm some kinda hillbilly, she mused.

"Well, it's been fun," she said out loud, reaching her arms up to stretch out. It was a bad move. Her back screamed at her. Avalon tried her hardest to block the pain, and her mind surprisingly obliged. Later, it warned her.

The soldiers stared at her uncomprehendingly and continued to stare as she disappeared and one of them had enough brains to finally sound an alarm.

As the camp burst into scurrying motion, Avalon was flying high above, in any direction that would take her away. She had no idea where she was, or how long she could go. She guessed she couldn't get very far in her condition, and knew that any town she stopped in would be combed through by Azula very soon.

As she contemplated all this, her mind was cool and calm and detached, thinking about the situation in an analytical state, hoping that some spark of luck would jump in front of her.

* * *

Zuko tramped across the land. His lonely eyebrow was creased down towards his nose, both of his eyes mere slits, but inside he was panicking. From what the prisoners had said Azula had been at the camp. That meant Avalon was now in her hands.

Of that Zuko had no doubt. He could feel it way down deep in his bowels. Avalon was suffering, and he had to do something about it. He ran on relentlessly, praying he would find her.

Katara had told him. Just after Aang returned, Katara had sidled up to him and had pulled to a private place. Zuko followed unwittingly, unaware of the world-breaking truth that Katara held.

She had been jittery and unsure, but had justified herself in believing that telling Zuko would fix everything and they would be together again. Shortly after that, Aang told him Avalon had been captured.

At first, when Katara's words had spilled from her mouth, _"Zuko, you don't understand, she still loves you"_, Zuko's heart had leapt up into his mouth, crying out in elation. For a moment, he glimpsed the future.

She was standing on the back porch of a nice-looking, white house, and Zuko trounced up the steps and kissed her forehead. She smiled at him and leaned her head against his shoulder and together they watched the two little children playing in the fields behind the house. A little fair-haired boy and a raven-haired spunk of a girl running towards and away from each other in an endless battle of tag, laughing and tumbling in the soft, flowing grass.

Avalon tilted her head up and touched her lips to Zuko's burnt ear, "I love you."

Zuko looked down at her beautiful blue eyes and whispered, "I know. I love you too," and rubbed her rounded belly.

Reality checked him back into place. She may love him, but she still hated him. Or feared him. He wasn't really sure which one yet. And now she was gone and he was freaked. This couldn't happen now!

Zuko reined in his wild thoughts, trying to keep a level head. Every time he tried to think about his next move panic set in and he took off running again. Finally, he decided it was time to decide what to do. He couldn't just wait for her to fall out of the sky. An obvious epiphany hit him. The sky. She had to be up in the sky! Zuko jumped and caught a branch, swinging himself to the next one, until he was at the top of a tall, tall tree.

His next action was slightly foolish, but he was drunk on hope. A line of fire pierced the night sky, tearing it apart.

* * *

Luck was with Avalon after all. She spotted the makeshift flare, mostly because it erupted right in front of her. She followed it down to the tree where it originated. Zuko saw her coming and yelled out to her. She heard his voice and floated dreamily to the ground. He leapt down frantically from branch to branch and caught her on the ground.

Zuko gagged in horror after he had hugged her and come away with arms coated in her blood. But she was safe now and that thought alone calmed him.

She looked up at him confusedly, "Zuko?" she mumbled.

"Yeah, it's me" he said, tears starting to leak from his eyes.

"What are you doing here? It's ladies' night."

Zuko gaped at her, alarm coursing through his veins again, and gathered her up in his arms, careful not to irritate her back to much.

"It's going to be alright, Avs, I gotcha. I'm not gonna let anything else happen to you."


	8. Born to Run

**Disclaimer** **: I don't own Avatar or Nickalodean (how the HELL do you spell that?!)**

**Author's Note – Hey just want to send a shout out to my couple of faithful reviewers, Avatarlover1 and penz rite stuf. You guys are the reason I keep this thing going, so thanks : On with the story!**

Zuko had found his true calling.

It was a little after midnight, about an hour after Avalon had tumbled out of the sky into his arms.

He had bandaged her back as best as he could, at least he had stemmed the blood flow. His shirt was in tatters though, and the crushed dock leaves he had used as dressing weren't exactly up to par.

She had slept through the whole ordeal. One of his biggest problems was her privacy. He was at a complete lost. He had to wrap the bandages around her front half too. Finally, he decided that civility be damned and did what he had to do.

And now he was sitting quietly on the ground, watching her sleep. This last half hour was very possibly the highlight of his last few months.

Avalon still slept the same way. There was no hint that she was even aware of the bloody mess that passed for her back at the moment. There was no trace of the pain that had been so evident in her every action during the waking hours.

Every so often she would still twitch, a suggestion of a smile darting across her face. And that little twitch would brighten the whole night up for Zuko. He decided that he couldn't help it any more. There was nothing he could do that would suppress these feelings. And it only made things worse when Katara spilled.

Because that gave him the ever-dangerous hope. It had been completely gone for a while, but it was back, creeping up into Zuko's heart like ivy vines crawling slowly around a house, devouring it.

Long before then, Zuko had decided he would never get involved with Avalon again. Not after he had unleashed his potential for hurting people. He didn't trust himself enough to become that close to her, or anyone for that matter, and know that with one little flick of his wrist he could destroy everything. He had come perilously close to taking his own life last time.

After another half hour of bliss, Zuko lay back, pondering the course this new journey would take.

* * *

"WHAT?!"

"Uh, yeah, and he went after her …"

"Wait, wait. WHAT?!"

Aang sucked in a deep breath. They weren't taking it that good. They being Avalon's friends from her home town, the Ruby Lakers as they were generally known.

It was the next morning.

"Why didn't you come to one of us?" Steevo pressed. Aang shrunk back, scared out of his mind. Though Aang was the most powerful being in the world, the sight of Steevo's clenched, meaty fists terrified him.

"I didn't think I would have to," Aang pleaded quietly.

"Lay off'f him," Katara warned gently.

"What are we going to do?" Steevo growled, his voice peering down over the edge of the cliffs of hysteria.

Just then, a scout ran breathlessly up to Aang, prodding his shoulder urgently.

"Sorry to … interrupt … but I think … we have … bigger problems … Azula … almost here."

The silence that followed was utter, broken only by Sokka.

"Shit."

* * *

"Unhhhhh."

From the very moment of waking, Avalon wished she hadn't.

"Avalon?" Zuko asked timidly. It was well into the morning, and he had been waiting with a frugal but filling breakfast since sunrise.

"Mehhh," she groaned. Movement was completely impossible. She was acutely aware of every layer of skin that had been removed from her back and how much they all hurt. She was pretty sure during her blissful sleep they had all queued up in a nice, single file line and were now sick of being ignored and were rioting like only preteen girls who are fed up with waiting to get into a NSYNC concert can.

Zuko clicked his tongue a few tongues, trying to distract himself. It was horribly awkward. Avalon lay as still as possible, trying to find that now-allusive state of unconsciousness.

"Where are we?" she finally asked, giving up on going back to sleep.

"About ten miles away from the camp. Here I got you some breakfast," he held it out for her.

"Not hungry," she mumbled.

"Nonsense, you have to eat," Zuko pressed the food into her lap. Avalon sat up stiffly, her back straight as a ramrod.

"My back hurts," she complained out loud.

"It should … Listen, Avalon, it might be a while before we meet up with the others because of your condition, which means we're going to be alone. If you have anything you want to say to me, say it now."

Avalon moaned and pressed her fingers against her temples, "Yeah, I got something to say. Why can't we have one normal conversation without it getting awkward or you bringing the past up? It doesn't matter. Now, my back hurts like hell, I'm in desperate need for a bath, you've gone and given me a headache, and I need a drink."

"There's a river a little ways away for your bath," Zuko said curtly as he got up and walked away.

"Great," Avalon said to herself, "Glad things are back to normal."

After inhaling the roots and berries, Avalon made an attempt to get to her feet. It didn't really work. By the third time, she made it, but walking was virtually impossible, so she floated less than a foot above the ground to the river.

Emerging herself in the cool water felt like heaven. She wrapped a sturdy-looking weed around her wrist and let the slow current of the river gently push against her. She heard crackling footsteps, and smiled to herself. Poor guy, she thought, I am being a bit of a bitch. And it's going to be a long time alone with him.

* * *

Zuko stalked around the woods for a while swiping at helpless ferns with one of his broadswords until he felt better. He ended up by the river. Avalon was floating not ten feet away. Zuko averted his eyes and was about to apologize, but Avalon had started to sing.

Zuko was shocked, she had to have heard him coming, he was making more than enough noise. He listened intently to what she was saying, convinced that the words were for him.

"_I want to break free  
I want to break free  
I want to break free from your lies  
You're so self-satisfied I don't need you  
I got to break free  
God knows, God knows I want to break free_

_I've fallen in love.  
I've fallen in love for the first time  
And this time I know it's for real  
I've fallen in love, yeah  
God knows, God knows I've fallen in love_

_It's strange but it's true, heya,  
I can't get over the way you love me like you do  
But I have to be sure  
When I walk out that door  
Oh how I want to be free, baby  
Oh how I want to be free  
Oh how I want to break free_

_But life still goes on  
I can't get used to living without, living without, living without you  
by my side  
I don't want to live alone, hey  
God knows, got to make it on my own  
So baby can't you see  
I've got to break free_

_I've got to break free  
I want to break free, yeah_

_I want I want I want I want to break free …"_

Zuko's eyes stayed trained on the ground as he walked slowly away. The words were meant for him, of that he had no doubt and one of Avalon's curses was the incapability to communicate directly with people, which was why she had sung to him, instead of telling it directly to his face.

That's strange, Zuko thought, she's got no problem being in someone's face …

He sighed. It was going to be a long trip.

Avalon came floating back into camp, her feet mere inches above the ground. She grinned at Zuko, surprising him to say the least.

"I feel good," she smiled again.

"Uhuh," Zuko responded warily.

"That bath worked _wonders_," she exuded happiness.

"Yeah, there didn't happen to be any cactus juice involved, did there?"

"Cactus juice? What are you talking about?"

"You know, cactus juice …" Avalon smiled warmly at him, polite confusion brightening her eyes.

"Never mind," Zuko broke off.

Avalon shrugged at him, "So, where do we go now?"

"I don't know."

"Sweet rescue plan."

"Look who's talking."

"Yeah, got me there."

There was way too much left unsaid for the silences that followed not to be awkward.

"I suppose we should try to get you to a healer or something," Zuko finally suggested.

"Oh yeah, I happen to know one actually. Her name's Katara. You might know her, Waterbender, long, brown braid, travels with the Avatar?"

Avalon snickered at her joke as Zuko rolled his eyes at her.

"Whatever, let's just go back to camp."

"Aww, Zuko, you can't be getting sick of me already!"

Zuko was caught off guard again. Why did she do that?! One minute she was moody and testy, the next she was flirty and happy. It was killing him. He had been prepared for moody, and he got flirty. Not fair!

He shook his head in wonder. He thought he had known her so well, her little give-aways, her quirks. But he had never mastered this double-sided part of her. That's because he had never experienced it.

"Come on, it's this way," he said. She followed him, still hovering above the ground so she wouldn't have to walk. After about five miles, her back was agitating her too much for even that. She wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck and he piggy-backed her for another five miles. Dusk was falling when they stopped.

"It should be around here somewhere," Zuko thought out loud. Avalon looked at him with alarmed eyes, but held her tongue. Zuko cursed himself, he hadn't meant to say that to her, but it was too easy to let things like that slip.

"Another mile," he reassured her. Avalon drifted the last mile and Zuko led out in front of her.

"It was right here! I don't understand," Zuko exasperated.

"Maybe we went the wrong way," Avalon said quietly.

"Nonsense, I know it was here!"

"Maybe you're wrong."

Zuko gave her a withering look.

"Just saying. I mean, you say it was here, but, well, this spot is sort of lacking those things by which we define a camp. People, for example."

"I know," Zuko snapped.

He looked around a bit more, looking for clues that this spot had once been bustling with life. He found what he was looking for.

"Look!" he called Avalon over, "It _was_ here. I knew it!"

There was a small, hairline-thin line in the ground.

"Ooh, a crack in the ground, yes, that does prove it."

"No, no, look. That crack is in a perfect square. There was an earth hut here."

Almost magically, the crack connected with another crack and another right before Avalon's eyes.

"I see it!" she exclaimed like a child that had just figured out one of life's greater mysteries.

Zuko groaned inside. She was beaming at him. This was SO not fair.

"Where do you think they went?" Avalon asked

"I don't know that. But I know they didn't want to be followed. Their tracks are covered up extremely well. I only spot things like this and the strange swirl of dust over there and that shallow, almost invisible, light footstep that belongs to Aang because I tracked him for so long."

Avalon nodded. If there was anyone she would want tracking the Avatar, it was indisputably Zuko. Avalon whimpered all of sudden. Zuko became a flurry of activity, his hands fluttering uselessly around her.

"What?! What's wrong?!"

"Ow, ow," Avalon sucked in her narrow chest, "Nothing."

Zuko sighed, giving her a come-on look reserved for only the truly stupid.

"Really, it's gone. I just had … sharp, shooting pain for a sec."

"Oh boy," Zuko breathed after they had unwrapped her back. The stripes criss-crossing her back had only just begun to scab over, but a few areas looked like promising spots for infection. For one, they were turning black.

"What? You can't 'oh boy' and not say anything else!!" she almost screamed at him, her voice cracking with panic.

"There are some parts," Zuko lightly grazed his fingers over one, causing Avalon to yelp in pain, "that are getting infected."

Avalon groaned, "Nooooooo."

"Come on, we're going to the nearest town."

"What about Azula? She's bound to be searching everywhere."

"Screw Azula," Zuko hissed, his eyes tightening.

"Yeah, I agree and everything, but you know I'm right."

"Not necessarily. I think Aang split because he got a whiff of Azula on his trail. Which means she's following him, not looking for you."

"Wow," Avalon was taken aback. She had never given Zuko props for being so … smart.

Zuko smiled to himself. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Let's go."

"Wait," Avalon smiled slyly, "You think you're so smart, don'cha? Well, listen to _this_ plan. I don't feel safe going to some random town where Azula can just sneak up on us while I'm trying to heal …"

"She won't," Zuko interrupted.

"I'm not done," Avalon reprimanded him lightly. He smiled apologetically. "So we should go somewhere not random. And completely safe from Azula."

"Where?"

"Ruby Lake."


	9. I Can't Quit You Baby

**Disclaimer** **: I still don't own any part of Avatar … and I don't think that's going to change : but at least I can still write about it.**

Zuko pulled his hand over his face, trying to grab the frustration and anger and throw it away.

Avalon had gotten steadily worse over the past few days. She had eaten next to nothing, and he knew what an appetite she usually had. The infection was growing more serious, and Zuko was honestly getting scared. She hadn't woken up in since yesterday at noon, and twenty-four hours later Zuko was lost and frightened.

The only directions Avalon had given him were 'go east'. She had assured him that she would guide, but that was kind of hard for her to do while passed out.

Zuko stopped himself. He was getting too worked up because he was scared shitless. At first, it had been, oh, she's got a little infection, well, she's strong, she'll be fine. Now it was, could it take her down? Would she let it? What could he do? Oh, God, what if it kills her?

Zuko tried to convince himself he was being dramatic, but every time he slung her off his back and looked at her strained, sweaty, sleeping face another surge of panic ran through him.

"Zuko?"

The small, humbled word sent a shiver up Zuko's back.

"Yes?"

"I'm thirsty."

Zuko raised a small canteen to her lips, and she sucked down as much as she could get. That seemed to revive her a bit; her face went from sickly pale to just a little pasty.

She looked around, trying to find her bearings. "You been going east?"

"Yeah."

"Good. How far, do you think?"

Zuko calculated in his head. They probably went about twenty miles a day, for three days.

"A good sixty miles," he responded.

"We should get there late today or early tomorrow," she nodded, "Wait, _sixty_ miles?"

"Yeah," Zuko smiled, "You've been asleep for a whole day."

"Wow," she grinned feebly, "I must be getting pretty bad then."

Zuko was about to agree, but Avalon interrupted him.

"There." She was pointing to an old, split laburnum tree tucked into the woods. She had missed it on her first sweep of the area. Its deceiving golden leaves were just blossoming.

"When I was little I wanted to see if the flowers tasted as good as they looked," Avalon shook her head in weak amusement, "I was sick for a month."

"Does that mean we're almost there?"

"Yup."

Zuko hitched her up onto his back and she pointed the way. All of a sudden, as if a switch had been turned on, Zuko heard the quiet murmur of life.

He broke through the last wall of trees and found himself on the very edge of a lake. It was a good 200 acres of water with houses on the opposite side. The north edge of the lake was the big hole of a quarry that gave the town its name.

As he skirted around the banks of the lake, Avalon dropped her head on his shoulder. Zuko smiled wistfully. The town distracted him too much to notice her much longer though.

Zuko stared around him in wonder. The town didn't have the popular, surrounding, protective walls that he so usually saw. There were little, dirt paths that ran from house to house. The houses themselves were strange to Zuko's eyes. They were entirely wooden and spaced quite far apart, at least compared to what he was used to. They weren't Earth Kingdom shanties or Fire Nation mansions. They were just … houses. Homes.

"Hey, Avalon," he whispered back to her, afraid that loud words would break the tranquil trance that lay heavy upon the sleepy town, "This place is lovely."

Zuko waited for her retort, something along the lines of, "Just wait until the sunset. Now _that_ will blow your mind" or "Ain't what you expected, was it?" but it never came.

"Avalon?" Zuko asked, his forehead synchronizing into a frown with his mouth.

He pulled her off his back and slapped her face lightly, trying to wake her, "Avs? Avalon, honey, wake up! Help me! Somebody help me!"

In an instant, Zuko was surrounded by people. Their words flowed over him like a breeze, he acknowledged it somewhere in the back of his mind, but paid it no attention.

"Is that Avalon?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with her?"

"I don't know. Who's that guy?"

"Someone better go get Mums."

"Clear out! Come on, people, give me some room to breath."

The crowds parted before an elderly woman, who rushed to Zuko's side. She knelt down next to Avalon, checking her vitals.

"What happened?"

Zuko's wide, fearful eyes stared wildly up at the lady. Her soft wrinkles and kindly eyes calmed him enough to speak.

"She has a serious infection on her back. She needs help, now."

"I can see that. Alright, my young man, follow me."

Zuko hoisted Avalon gingerly in his arms and followed the waddling old lady into one of the houses. He lay her down on an indicated bed. The woman set about preparing a washing and dressing for Avalon after surveying the damage done to her.

"Am I right in assuming that you are Zuko?" she asked while working, not looking up at him.

"Yes, ma'am," Zuko replied politely, unsure of what Avalon had told her about them.

"Ah, she was right, then. You are handsome." Zuko blushed, a very rare occurrence. There was something about the woman that brought out the gentleman in him.

"What did she get herself into this time?"

"She was taken prisoner during a prison break. The others escaped, but she was tortured."

The woman shook her head, "When will she learn?"

Zuko smiled as much as his tense face would let him.

She finished quickly, then ushered Zuko out of the room, "The only thing we can do for her now is let her rest."

She led Zuko to a small, round table and invited him to sit down. He obliged.

"You must be hungry."

"I am, ma'am," Zuko nodded at her. She smiled and dug through the cabinets looking for something suitable.

"You don't have to call me ma'am, Zuko. It makes me feel old. Well, I guess I am. But you may call me Mums. Everyone else does," she muttered under her breath.

Turning back to the handsome, ex-Fire Nation prince, food in hand, Mums laughed quietly to herself. Zuko had laid his head upon the table and was snoring lightly.

Mums gently woke him, enough to move him to adjacent bedroom. Zuko was sound asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

The next morning, Zuko's stomach awoke with a passion. He could barely make it to the table because it was growling so badly.

A plate of freshly-fried eggs, sausage, and fruit was waiting for him. Mums must've heard his stomach when he was getting dressed.

He inhaled the food and then stood just outside of Avalon's door, listening to her steady breathing.

Zuko was lucky that he had slept so well that night, because over the next three days he got only eight hours of sleep total. Mums kept him on a strict Avalon watch. He almost never left her room, only to sleep, eat, and clean himself up.

The other villagers avoided him at any cost. There was an old man, Mums' husband, Zuko had concluded, that lived in the house also, but Zuko only saw him once or twice. Mums was the only one who talked to him.

Avalon woke up occasionally, but her fever was so high it was more of an extension of her dreams. After three days the fever did go down, and visitors were allowed.

That pretty much meant that for a few hours the whole village crammed itself into Avalon's room, which filled quickly with flowers of every kind. She sat meekly in the middle of it all, smiling and generally looking worn out.

Zuko never left her side. They had an unspoken agreement about it.

"Avalon!"

"Kailee!!"

Avalon strove to stand up, and Zuko gently but forcefully pressed her back onto the pillows. A woman and man had just walked in, after visiting hours. Zuko was about to kick them out, but the woman was already sitting on the edge of Avalon's bed, handing her a small bundle of blanket.

"Oh, Kailee, he's beautiful," Avalon gushed. The small, eight-month old baby boy looked up at her with big, soulful, brown, Bambi eyes.

"He came just after you left," the woman laughed. Avalon tickled his stomach and gave him a raspberry on his forehead.

"What's his name?" she asked.

"Charlie," Kailee responded. Avalon froze, and then broke into huge smiles.

"Guess who is godmother is," Kailee hinted.

Avalon pointed to herself in shock, "Me?"

Kailee nodded. Zuko stared at Avalon. This was another alien side of her. Holding the tiny baby in her arms, she simply glowed. He had never known that she liked children. They had never gotten the chance to talk about it.

Avalon remembered him suddenly, "Zuko, these are my friends, Kailee and Riley."

Zuko nodded politely at them. Kailee stared open-mouthed at him; she had obviously heard his name before, and Riley's mouth tightened.

"So, what happened?" Kailee asked, curiosity burning behind her eyes, the same ones her son had inherited.

"Eh, I got into a little trouble with the Fire Nation," Avalon tried to shrug, but winced. The infection had gone down greatly in Mums care, but she was still very sore.

Kailee shook her head, "You have to be more careful, Avalon. I've been telling you that since the day Charlie died."

Zuko's forehead crinkled in confusion as he glanced down at the baby Avalon was cradling. Then he remembered the story Avalon had told him, many moons ago, about one of her good friends that had been killed by Earthbenders.

"I know," Avalon snapped, and then apologized, "Sorry, I'm just a little tired."

"It's alright," Kailee replied, "I'm used to it."

"C'mon K, we better be getting out of here," Riley suggested, towing his wife away. Kailee smiled at him and Avalon handed Baby Charlie back as they walked out.

"Are you alright?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Avalon sighed, her tone indicating every thing but that.

"I'm sick of being in bed," she said after a pause.

"I would be too, if I was you," Zuko said.

"Think we can go for a walk?" Avalon wondered.

"Only one way to find out."

Avalon grasped Zuko's arm and hauled herself to her feet. She stretched and groaned.

"That feel's nice," she said.

She walked slowly and stiffly, holding onto Zuko's arm the whole time. They walked out of the house and through the whole town. Avalon waved at everyone they passed, calling them all by name. Zuko just smiled at them. As the sun was about set, Avalon started to lead the way.

"I'm going to show you my favorite spot in the whole town," she grinned. She led him to the quarry, where they floated up one of the hills to sit on top. Zuko had forgotten how free he felt when he flew with her.

They sat upon the hill overlooking the lake, and the sun continued it's descent to bed.

Zuko hadn't been out during the sunsets yet, he had been inside with Avalon. What he saw took his breath away.

A long time ago, Avalon had tried to describe it to him, and, no offense to her, she had failed miserably.

Something about the way the sun's dying rays hit the water turned it a deep, full red. The lake looked like a giant, inset ruby in the pendant of the earth.

"Hey … Zuko," Avalon began tenderly.

Zuko glanced at her, his eyes full of wonder.

"I just want to … you know … say thanks for staying here with me and everything. I thought you would leave as soon as we got here."

"Of course I stayed," Zuko frowned; the thought of leaving had never even crossed his mind.

"And coming after me and everything," Avalon continued, as if she hadn't heard him.

"What are you saying?" Zuko asked.

"Just thanks."

"Well, you're welcome," Zuko sighed.

"And I think you should go."

"What?" Anger rose up in him like a tidal wave.

"You should go find Aang. He actually needs you."

"And you don't?" The anger welled up and spilled over the edge.

"No, I don't," Avalon said, contaminated from his anger spill.

"Bullshit," Zuko said, his voice on the verge of yelling.

"Excuse me?" Avalon was the complete opposite, her voice low and deadly.

"If it wasn't for me, you never would've made it here!"

"If it wasn't for _you_, a lot of things wouldn't have happened," Avalon said quietly. The words were like a virus, they started out slow and almost undetected, but they wormed their way into Zuko's brain and became a time bomb, set to go off at any time. He gaped at her, stun slowly replacing the rage. He could not believe what he had just heard. How could she be this nasty to him?

"Really, you should go," she continued calmly, "They all need you."

"Just what the hell are you so scared of?" Zuko asked. He wasn't angry, just tired of it all.

"Nothing," she snapped, but it was too quick.

"You're lying."

"I'm not scared of anything," she persisted.

"I can see it, Avalon, in your eyes. Are you scared of me?"

"No! I'm not scared of anything," she repeated.

"Are you scared of what I did?"

"Zuko, stop it!" Now the tables had been turned. She was yelling as he spoke calmly.

"You are."

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

"No! Goddamnit, I'm scared of never feeling that way again! I'm scared that you were the only one I could let in and now there's nobody! I've never gotten that close to anyone! Damn it, Zuko, I _loved_ you!"

Tears were spilling from her eyes like a tiny, sparkling waterfall.

"So, you're scared that I ruined you," Zuko whispered.

"Are you listening to what I'm saying? I'm not scared of anything you did!"

"You just said that there was no way you could feel like that again, because I damaged you too much."

"Forget it," she gave up.

"Am I not right?"

"Forget it."

"Am I not?"

"Fine, if you want to put the blame on your shoulders, I don't care. You won't listen to me anyway."

"I'm sorry, Avalon."

"I know you're sorry," she exasperated, "It's okay. I forgave you, remember?"

"But you'll never forget."

"That's how life works," she agreed, "You either forgive or forget, never both."

Night enveloped them like a thick blanket. Zuko finally dragged his vision up to meet Avalon's eyes. In them, he saw everything he had ever been, or hoped to be. Neither of them spoke.

Zuko leaned in on an impulse and kissed her. Avalon pulled away immediately and stared at him in bewilderment and confusion.

"You didn't."


	10. Brain Washing

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Never have, never will.**

Shapes loomed on the very edge of Avalon's vision, weaving in and out of existence. Every time her peripheral vision would catch movement, she would spin wildly around, hoping against hope that it was him, and he was alright, and nothing had changed. But things were there instead, deceiving things that had tentacles and other nasty, multiple appendages.

She backed away in fright every time it happened, scared that they would reach out and grab her with their slimy tentacles and take her to deep, dark places that no human should ever go.

Everything was a greenish-blue, like an aquamarine. It was as if she was looking at the scene through eyeglasses that had that colored tint. Even her own skin looked that way in this light. And still she walked on, never running or flying, only walking. She didn't know where she was going, or what she would find there, but there was a pit in her stomach that told her it wasn't going to be pretty. She just had to concentrate on not fainting when she arrived.

Far away, a million lifetimes away, she heard fighting. The stench of fear and betrayal lurked in Avalon's nostrils, fighting for a permanent place in her brain. She kept walking inexplicably toward the sounds that sent pangs of terror up and down her spine.

Finally, she reached the end of the tunnel. Down below, a fallen angel lay broken on the cold ground and a nymph stood over him, protecting him at any cost. Her tears ran down her face and formed into a whip that lashed out and struck down her oppressors, machines that showed no feeling. They wore masks over their faces so that each one wore the same frozen, bitter expression. In the middle of the army of machines stood a devil. It was neither a he nor a she. It stood in sharp contrast to the dying angel at the nymph's feet. It radiated everything that had gone wrong from the beginning of time, from the mournful cry of the first baby to the heart-breaking squeal of the first wild pig-chicken that that was hunted for its meat to the last, dying breath of a loved one who left before their time was up.

Avalon scowled at the devil, wishing she could strike it down, then and there, so that it could cause no more pain in the world. Suddenly, the devil's body erupted in flames and still its harsh laughter rang from it, like beautiful bells that had been cast for a church but were instead carried at the head of a tyrant's army, pealing out woe and death for any who heard their warning cries.

A little light spilled from Avalon's pocket. It rose up to her face and warmed her heart. She smiled at it, this little ball of light, and wanted it to stay forever, so it could warm her and keep her safe. It reached out and brushed the tip of her nose with one of its rays, and then her hair, already yellowed by the sun that had made its way into her mother's womb when she had still taken up residence there. But the devil called to her pocket of sunshine, and it turned abruptly away from Avalon. For just a moment, the dark things on the edge of her vision had been held at bay by the light, but they rushed back in as soon as it left with greater intensity than ever. She cried for it, for it to come back and be with her, but it would not heed her.

She leapt after it, trying to capture it in the safe confines of her arms, but it slipped from her grasp and joined the devil at its side. Avalon whimpered once more, an almost silent plea for the light that had blinded her so that the rest of the world was now an even darker place than before. But the light burst, and morphed into a minotaur, an angry half bull-half man whose circumstances went beyond its control, cursed to forever wander the labyrinth of life, never to escape, always to be lost.

Avalon stood staring mournfully at her poor sunshine that no longer saw her through its own troubles. The army of darkness moved around her, swallowing her in one swift, gulp, and even as she fell through the perpetual night she wished that she could give whatever she had left to save the minotaur, to find it and lead it out of the maze and then watched as it transformed back into that bouncing globe of happiness.

It heard her then, wishing with all her heart for it to find its way home, and it did, it left, but Avalon knew as she plummeted that it would never, ever bring her the same warmth and joy that it had and yet she felt some measure of satisfaction, knowing that she had saved it.

Avalon stiffened her back and prepared for her eyes to pop open to see the tangled mess of sheets that had become her bed and her hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead. She had had this dream many times, and it no longer made her scream like it used to. At the beginning it had only gone to the point where Zuko left her and the darkness came poring in, but things kept adding on, making the dream more bearable, if only slightly so.

This time, she didn't wake up. She kept falling. Avalon's first instinct was to release gravity's hold over her and rise up against the odds. To her extreme surprise and delight, she did. She started soaring upwards, the darkness thinning by degrees. At some point, she knew then, a tiny pinprick of light would appear at the end of the tunnel. She kept flying and flying, but it never came. Finally, Avalon realized that she had to give up.

She would never reach the top. She was too tired. This false hope had eaten at her insides, and now she was emptier than before. The fall back down to despair would be even worse the second time around. As she gave herself up to her fate, the light bobbed in front of her eyes. It was like the light of the angler fish in the deep oceans of the world. It tempted her to grab on, but Avalon knew that if she did she could end up in a worse place than this. But what about the possibility that that next place would be better?

What if what some said was true, after you died, your spirit went to a paradise, a safe haven? What if grabbing onto that light meant dying and pain and suffering, but it also promised heaven afterwards? What if it was telling the truth? What if it wasn't? Could she submit to it, knowing that if it ever left her again, she would be too blinded by it to live?

That was when she finally woke up, scowling instead of screaming.

Aren't dreams and sleep supposed to unwind your mind, not provoke it even farther? She thought irately. And tonight's was a weird one, no doubt. At the very end, questions had just bombarded her mind, questions she had no answer to. It was easy enough for her to relate the things in her dream to the things in her life, something that hadn't come so easily the first time she had it. Fortunately, her mind wasn't that cryptic and it wanted to make sure that any subconscious messages it sent made their way to the conscious part.

Avalon stumbled out of bed and washed her face groggily in the washbasin at the far end of the room. She collapsed back onto her childhood bed, smiling up at all the tiny holes she had put in the ceilings and the walls with darts or other various, pointy objects. Pappy had never had the heart to cover them up. Poor old man, she thought, he doesn't deserve a substitute daughter like me, he deserves his real one.

So does Mums. She needs someone to pamper and listen to and be needed by, not a flighty orphan. Avalon had never given them the respect or love they deserved. Her mother had gone into labor while passing through the town, and after she died, her father hung himself, devout to follow her mother wherever she went. And Pappy and Mums had taken in the tiny baby with the fair hair, a baby whose parents they didn't even know personally.

Many years before that, Mums had given birth to a baby girl. But the baby had been premature and had died from frailty, if such a thing is possible in a home where so much love flowed so freely. They had never tried again. And now all they had was a damaged shell of a girl, never their daughter, but always loved so.

A soft knock at the door preceded the flood of light that ended Avalon's train of thought. That, and a baby wailing. Kailee peeked her head around the door and Avalon sat up and smiled at her.

"Hey, Ava, I was just wondering if you could baby-sit Charlie for the afternoon. Me and Riley are supposed to help Mums pick berries."

"I'd be delighted," Avalon grinned, and was pleasantly surprised to find herself telling the truth, even though she knew that Kailee could simply bring the baby along, because berry picking wasn't that difficult of a physical activity.

"Great!" Kailee exclaimed, swinging the door open fully to reveal arms full of blankets and wooden toys.

* * *

Avalon had fed Charlie and changed his mess and burped him and played with him all afternoon. Now she sat with her chin in her hands, resting on the table, peering into Charlie's big, brown eyes, trying to decipher what he was thinking about.

"You gotta great family, you know that?" she asked him suspiciously, like his greatest crime in life was not appreciating his family.

Charlie gurgled happily in response.

"Your mom, now, she's the toughest person I know. Well, maybe not tough, more resilient. She's a couple of years older than me, like five or something. She had a brother once; his name was Charlie, just like yours. But he died … because of me."

Charlie stared at her with such a concentrated gaze that a driblet of drool poked out of his mouth.

"And her parents died, before that. So she was the only person left in her family. I can't imagine what that was like, to have a family and then lose them. I just know what its like not to have a family, which is better in some ways."

Charlie nodded his wise baby head in response.

"So you better hold onto to them with all your worth, baby, 'cause they're the most important thing in your life."

Charlie pursed his lips, swearing the oath.

"Friends, that's another type of family. You see, Charlie, family doesn't end at blood. I suppose that's how people get married or something. Keep lots of friends, Charlie, but only a few close ones."

Charlie swallowed this next pearl of wisdom in the form of some spit-up he had been contemplating getting rid of.

"Now, love, Charlie, is something you must be wary of. I'm not talking about family love, which is undying no matter what happens, but love-love, with someone who's not your family, but still a part of you. If you can help it, choose who you fall for. Don't go for the bad boy. Oops, sorry, girl in your case. 'Cause they're just gonna scar you. Don't go for the mysterious one, 'cause they're just gonna send you spinning in circles. Don't go for the exotic one either, 'cause they'll confuse you so bad with their strange ways. But instead, fall for the safe one, the boy, sorry again, _girl_ next door, 'cause you will always know where you are with them. That's what I should've done. I should've stayed here and loved your uncle, even if I would've never been completely satisfied."

Avalon paused for a moment, digesting her own advice. She had never said that aloud before.

"Never mind, forget everything I just said. It's not like you have a choice anyway."

Charlie sighed and reached out for Avalon's hair. She let him pull it and mull it over in his tiny, baby hands before she sighed too and lifted him into her arms. She rocked him and cooed at him and blew bubbles at him with her mouth.

He giggled happily, that unique giggle of a baby, so pure, so innocent, so free.

"You are a pretty little thing though," she said to him, "I never was much of a child person."

Avalon babbled on for a while, about her dreams, about her hopes for Charlie's future, things like that, until she looked down and noticed he was sleeping soundly. It was a strange feeling Avalon got then, that feeling that someone had just put their undying trust in you and you were their sole protector.

The most profound thing about it was that Charlie felt safe enough to sleep in her arms when she didn't even feel secure enough to hold her body upright. It was a nice feeling, overall.

Last night finally wormed its way into her thoughts. She was sill in denial that Zuko had actually kissed her. She hadn't seen him since she fled from the quarry. She didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed. She still had to choose a path.

Avalon knew of only two choices: keep falling, knowing no end to the pain, or grab onto him tightly, praying that paradise, and not the next level of hell, awaited her on the other side.

**Author's note – This was just sort of a filler chapter, to let you guys know what's going through Avalon's mind and give you a break from all the drama. And I'm going on vacation, so another won't be put up for a while. Reviews are still welcome though!**

**Celtic Goddess of Fertility**


	11. Walk On

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar (still)**

Zuko's breaths came out in short puffs, materializing in the air in front of him before disappearing again. A lot like Avalon, he thought bitterly.

Of course, this time he was the one running away. He had already been gone for a night and a day, his destination being Aang, and she hadn't followed him. Not that he really expected her to. He wasn't making tracks or anything, more of strolling really, and he hadn't gotten very far. He could not seem to drag himself away from her again. Maybe if he hadn't been so impulsive and plain out stupid …

But how could he regret it? The feel of her soft lips pressed up against his, her body warm and inviting, brought back memories he hadn't realized he'd lost. Yet here he was, middle of the night, running away from those memories.

As if my life wasn't confusing enough, he mused, now this. I guess that's my destiny.

Destiny. Zuko had come to hate the word. Screw destiny, screw the world. He would no longer follow a path he had not chosen. Free will, that's the way to go. Avalon had a song about free will, how did it go? Zuko almost convinced himself to turn around and go back and ask her.

A small pinpoint of light distracted Zuko. He followed it warily; unsure if the light was manned by friends or enemies.

As it turned out, Zuko was 100 percent positive they were enemies after he had taken a good look at the faces around the flame. One of which was his sister.

Zuko crept slowly and carefully away, taking great caution not to be heard, and then ran for it.

He pulled Avalon out of bed a mere three hours before the sun rose.

"What the hell?!" she screamed at him.

He took the next three minutes of verbal abuse calmly, knowing it would eventually die down so that he could talk.

Finally, he said, "Azula is on her way. Here."

"What?! I thought you said she was following Aang," Avalon said.

"She was. But now she's after us."

Avalon had sunk slowly back onto her bed and Zuko watched as a rainbow of expressions played across her face, first incomprehension, then denial, then anger, then grief. But one emotion was universal, running an undercurrent with the others. Fear.

"What have I done?" she whispered.

"Avalon, this isn't your fault," Zuko said, misunderstanding her words.

"Yes, it is."

"What, did you make her follow us?" Avalon stared up numbly at him, no idea what he was babbling about.

"No. I've put these people in danger." Zuko closed his eyes. He understood.

"How could I?" She moaned softly, "What type of monster …"

"Avalon, don't!" Zuko grabbed her shoulders, trying to shake her out of her daze, "Come on, we have to do something. Get up, Ava!"

"You're right. We have to stop her before she gets here," Avalon nodded, a fire burning in her eyes.

They took off in the direction Zuko had come. They followed his easily readable dash through the woods. Halfway there, Zuko had to stop to rest. He was wiped out, not having slept since two nights ago when he left. He dropped into a state of unconsciousness where he was still aware of everything around him while napping.

Avalon took off into the sky, no Zuko to keep her grounded any longer. A half an hour later she shook him awake.

"She's gone! Zuko, she left!" Avalon's voice flirted with hysteria.

"We'll follow her. We'll find her, Ava," he assured her.

Avalon knew the general direction Azula was going in, so they cut to the west to intercept her tracks. They tracked her doggedly, not stopping again. The sun was now at its peak, beating down on them relentlessly.

Avalon sat down suddenly, moaning.

"Avalon? What's wrong?" Zuko said, concern flooding his voice.

"She … she found it. We're …"

Tears coursed silently down her face. Zuko looked ahead of him, to where Avalon was staring. The lake. Azula had made it to the town.

In a flash, Avalon had bolted across the lake, flying so low and fast a wake had sprung up behind her. Scenes kept running wild across her conscious. The people, her people, fun-loving, jolly, happy, peaceful people forced into slavery for the Fire Nation. Chained up, tortured. She couldn't stand it. It was tearing her apart.

There they were, a small huddle of villagers in the middle of the town.

"Avalon!" Kailee came running out of the circle to wrap Avalon up in her arms.

"I knew you'd come back," she whispered, "I knew you wouldn't leave us."

"Where is she?" Avalon growled. Kailee glanced fearfully at the younger woman. She had never seen Avalon like this, so intimidating.

"The Firelord, or whoever? She left to talk peacefully with Mums and Pappy."

"Where?" Avalon pressed.

"In their house," Kailee said.

"Zuko will be here within five minutes. Tell him everything."

And Avalon disappeared. She snuck past the guards outside, into the kitchen where her beloved Mums was serving the devil incarnate tea at her kitchen table. The table had a bouquet of flowers on it. The tea kettle whistled cheerfully. The scene was as surreal was possible.

"So do we have a deal?" Pappy asked anxiously. His old, honest eyes were filled with a deep sadness.

"Yes, we do," replied Azula, smiling like only she can. Avalon was half-surprised the fire heating the tea kettle didn't blow out.

"When?" choked out Mums, her eyes valiantly holding back her tears. A dread sprung up in Avalon's gut.

"As soon as possible."

"May we go out and talk to them?" Mums asked.

"Now," Azula commanded.

They trailed out of the house, the guards taking up station behind Azula as she walked toward the rest of the townspeople. Zuko stood amidst them.

"Mums, what's going on?" Kailee called out to her.

"We have made a deal that will keep the Fire Nation out of here forever," she spoke strongly to the people, her voice carrying across the lake that she had called her home for so long, "Do not be scared. Do not be sorry," she looked meaningfully at Zuko, "What we have done, we have done for you. Know that, and do not try to stop it."

Mums nodded solemnly at Azula, who grinned icily again. Her husband took her hand, and they smiled at each other.

"See you on the other side," he promised. The town watched, aghast, as Mums and Pappy were led to the water's edge and knelt down, backs exposed.

Avalon exploded out of thin air, "NO!" she screamed, eyes wild. Zuko rushed forward and grabbed her wrists forcefully, pulling her into his chest. She clutched his shirt in her hands, burying her head as the sound of lightening and death crackled in her ears. Zuko wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, and averting his eyes.

There was a scuffle and the people streamed past Avalon and Zuko. They ran, screaming and crying, down to the water. Azula and her guard had disappeared.

Sobs ripped Avalon apart. It was all Zuko could do to hold her together. Her hands clenched onto him tighter as she soaked his shirt with her tears.

"Why?" she finally spoke, after calming down considerably, "Azula will just come back."

"No," Zuko said, "She will honor the deal. If there is one thing that she holds true, it is a deal."

"It's all my fault." The sobs started again. The guilt pressed down on her, compacting her into an even smaller package.

"No, it's not," Zuko said.

"If I hadn't come here," she began.

"You would've died out there," Zuko interrupted.

She shook her head again, so sure of her remorse.

Kailee came over to them and touched Avalon's shoulder gently. A whole slew of people followed her example, trying to console Avalon.

"See, they love you," Zuko whispered, for only her to hear, "Still."

"Are you going to stay for the funeral?" Kailee asked hopefully.

"No," Avalon said, tears still running down her face.

"You should," Zuko said.

"I can't," she cried softly.

"They would want you to," he said.

She looked up at him, read the truth in his eyes, and nodded.

At sunset, clothed in a black mourning dress, Avalon stood at the banks of the water alone, watching the burning pyre out on the lake. The world around her had been dyed red by the sun. She sang out, the waterfall of tears beginning anew.

"_I close my eyes  
Only for a moment, then the moment's gone  
All my dreams  
Pass before my eyes, a curiosity_

_  
Dust in the wind  
All they are is dust in the wind _

_Same old song  
Just a drop of water in an endless sea  
All we do  
Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see  
_

_Dust in the wind  
All we are is dust in the wind, ohh _

_Now, don't hang on  
Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky  
It slips away  
And all your money won't another minute buy  
_

_Dust in the wind  
All we are is dust in the wind  
All we are is dust in the wind Dust in the wind  
Everything is dust in the wind  
Everything is dust in the wind  
The wind"_

She tossed a sprig of lilies into the water, as everyone else had already done.

"I'm sorry," she murmured to the flames. Zuko was waiting a few yards away and he got up and held his arms open for her again. She rushed into them and he held her for a long moment.

When she gathered herself together again, she said, "We should go back to Aang."

"Are you sure?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, wiping away the last of her tears.

"Tomorrow," Zuko said, "Now you need to rest."

"I don't want to rest, Goddammit," she swore, "I want to leave."

"Avalon," Zuko warned.

The brief flare that had lit up her eyes died again, "You're right," she sighed.

Zuko began leading her to the big house, but she pulled against him. He glanced at her, and she shook her head.

That night, they bunked with Kailee and Riley. As soon as they got to their modest house, Avalon sat down and plopped the baby on her lap. Zuko watched in amazement, every time he saw Avalon cuddling with Charlie, it knocked him off of his feet.

The next morning, they had to navigate through a throng of people begging Avalon not to leave. She kept explaining to them that she was leaving on a matter of worldly importance, but they still pleaded with her to stay. Kailee, baby in arms, and her quiet husband Riley stood at the end, waiting for them.

"Goodbye, Ava, you'll be missed," Kailee said, not even trying to convince her to stay.

"Bye," Avalon hugged her over the baby, kissed Charlie's forehead, and hugged Riley.

She looked back at Zuko, and half-smiled.

"Ready?"

"Always," Zuko replied, joining her at her side.

"Here we go again," she sighed and then turned and smiled at Kailee, Charlie, and Riley and waved. Zuko grinned too and waved.

They set off into the dawn of a new day.

**Author's note – Dust in the Wind by Kansas was featured in this chapter.**


	12. For the Longest Time

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender … no matter what I tell myself when I go to sleep at night.**

**Author's note - Before we get going I would like to personally thank penz rite stuf for the wonderful little poem about Mums and Pappy. So, penz rite stuf, this one's for you! R&R and, most of all, enjoy!!**

Zuko collapsed into his bed, grateful for black-out curtains.

But he was safe with the Avatar, and more importantly, so was Avalon. It had taken them about five days, but Zuko had tracked the Gaang down in a small, Earth Kingdom city that had not yet been taken by the Fire Nation. And now all he wanted to do was rest. It didn't matter that it was only 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Zuko was dead tired. If the reunions weren't enough, he had had to help Avalon tell Steevo, Jamie, Finger, and Peanut what Avalon and Zuko had left behind in Ruby Lake. Emotions, there's nothing like them to wear a person out. He passed out promptly.

Zuko awoke in the middle of the night. He sprang out of his room, dual broadswords at the ready. In the distance, on the other side of the city walls, he heard grunts followed by soft thwacks.

He crept warily towards the origin of the sound.

It was Avalon. She was apparently fighting a tree. And losing.

She punched away at the old oak relentlessly putting everything inside her, all of her rage, into the blows. Again and again, as Zuko watched, she struck her clenched hands against the hard, old wood. With every hit, she took a bloodied chunk out of her knuckles, and still the old tree stood, untouched by her fury. Finally, she collapsed against it, crying herself out.

Zuko rushed back into his small house and grabbed a pile of bandages Kailee had supplied them with before leaving Ruby Lake. He found Avalon in the same position, curled up at the base of the tree. She had finished crying by then.

He took her hands gently and bandaged them tightly. Neither said a word. When he was done, Zuko stood back up and helped Avalon to her feet. She refused to look him in the eye. But Zuko understood.

"It's okay, Avalon," he said as they walked slowly back.

"…" she sighed.

She had been treated as a hero when they marched into the city. Katara had been on the verge of tears. All of the former prisoners had hoisted her high onto their shoulders and danced her about. Her four friends from Ruby Lake had been more than overjoyed when she returned.

"It's normal to feel angry like this. It's all a part of the grieving cycle, or something like that."

Avalon laughed suddenly. It almost knocked Zuko off his feet, it was so unexpected.

"What?" he probed, a smile creeping across his face. Avalon was doubled up now, laughing so hard he thought she was going to crack her ribs.

"What?" he repeated, a chuckle escaping from his lips.

"You, haha, you sounded just like, heehee, Katara!" Avalon giggled. Zuko scoffed and then laughed with her.

"Well, glad I could help," he said sarcastically, and Avalon laughed again.

"Hey, shut it, you two. Some of us are trying to get some sleep!" an anonymous voice shouted at them.

Avalon pulled her finger to her lips and shushed Zuko. He put on a what-me? expression.

"Goodnight," Avalon whispered, "and thanks. For everything."

"My pleasure," Zuko whispered back.

* * *

"I just can't believe it."

"I know, me neither. Who'd have thought?"

"Not me," Toph grunted as she lifted her feet clear of the mud for a moment, before letting them slip back into the cool muck.

"I just wonder what _else_ happened during their time alone," Katara sighed, "You know, this mud bath is quite refreshing."

"I told you so," Toph snickered.

"Have you seen the way he glances at her from the corner of his eyes?" Katara giggled.

"Not really," Toph replied with a sigh.

"Oops, sorry," Katara laughed again.

"Have you felt the way their hearts race when they first see each other?"

"No, I can't say that I have."

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" Avalon asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"Uh, nothing," Toph said quickly.

"Toph, don't lie," Katara scolded, "We were talking about me and Aang."

"Awwww, girl talk!" Avalon laughed, "Mind if I join?"

"Not at all," Katara said, oozing relief and mud. She made a spot for Avalon in the mud.

"No thanks," Avalon turned it down, "So how are things with you two?"

"Eh, alright, I guess. It just gets kind of frustrating some times, you know?"

Avalon nodded, but she had no idea what Katara meant.

Toph was blunter, "Not really."

"He can just be a little immature at times. Childish, I guess."

"He's a child," Avalon said breezily.

"Not really," Katara shot back defensively.

"Hey, don't bite my head off," Avalon threw her hands in front of her, "I'm just saying, he's only 12."

"112, actually."

"I say cherish it while you can. While you're young, I mean. Today it's flowers and chocolates, tomorrow it's bills and baby diapers."

"You really think we'll make it that far?" Katara wondered.

"Everyone has a chance," Avalon said, and the she turned the attention of the conversation to Toph, "So, Toph, what about you? Any guys catching your, um, feet?"

"Ha ha," Toph laughed dryly, "Very funny. And no."

"No one?" Katara and Avalon asked simultaneously.

"No one," Toph repeated.

"I find that very hard to believe. Katara?"

"I agree."

"There's no one. NO ONE."

"Boy, she sure is getting defensive," Katara whispered to Avalon.

"I _heard_ that," Toph yelled.

"C'mon! Who is he?" Avalon prodded.

"Was he back in Ba Sing Se? A secret lover, perhaps? Or maybe, someone in this very city?"

"No. One," Toph repeated.

"There has to be _someone_. You can tell us, Toph, we're all girls here," Avalon gushed.

"Please, can you two nitwits just leave me alone? I'm sorry I don't desire the same relationship problems you two have."

There was an awkward silence for only a moment.

"Who says we're having relationship problems?" Avalon asked brightly. Too brightly.

"Puh-lease," Toph scoffed, not picking up on the urgent signals from Katara to cut it out, "I've heard the way your heart starts racing whenever Zuko's nearby. And you, Sugar Queen, you're in love with Aang and too scared to do anything about it!"

They stared at Toph, slack-jawed.

Finally, Avalon said, "Alright, _who is he?_ We must've hit pretty close to the mark to get you all riled up like this."

Toph raised her hands to the sky in annoyance.

"C'mon, c'mon!" Avalon urged.

"We can help," Katara added.

"Fine, you really want to know?"

"YES!" they shouted at Toph.

"Fine. I like … no one."

"Toph," Katara groaned.

"Hey, what are you lovely ladies doing?" Sokka poked his head around the door of the spa.

"Sokka! You're not supposed to be in here!" Katara screeched at him.

Avalon kept her eyes trained on Toph, who had stiffened up considerably.

"Sorry, sorry," Sokka's voice came from the other side of the door, sounding not the least bit regretful.

A few minutes of soaking in silence passed, before Avalon spoke again.

"So … Sokka, huh?"

"What?" Toph spluttered, "What are you talkin' about?"

"Oh, nevermind. It's nothing."

"Wait … Sokka?!" Katara exclaimed.

"Sokka what?" Toph said, panic rising in her voice.

"You like _Sokka?_ As in my brother, the meathead?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Toph said, maintaining a perfect poker face.

"Yes you do! Yes you do!" Avalon cried out.

"Whatever!" Toph yelled back.

"Avalon," Katara said, "Lay off of Toph. Just because she wants to hug Sokka and kiss him and loooooove him!" But Katara couldn't finish the sentence without a giggle escaping.

"Ugh! You two are impossible!" Toph shouted climbing out of the mud bath and wrapping a towel around herself.

"Impossible!" was her parting remark.

Avalon looked at Katara, her mouth and eyes wide.

"Sokka?" she laughed.

"I never would've guessed," Katara said.

"Me neither," Avalon agreed, "So, what else did I miss?"

"Nothing really. Everything's been real quiet."

"That's good then. Steevo and the others are going home, by the way."

"Yeah, I kind of figured," Katara admitted.

Avalon sighed and then got up form her perch on the edge of the mud bath.

"I better go help them pack. And you should probably go talk to Toph."

"Yeah, I will," Katara laughed, "Bye."

"Bye."

Avalon wandered through the small city until she located the Steevo.

"Hey, Tiny," she greeted him.

Steevo turned around to face her, his arms wide, "How many times do I have to tell you, don't call me that."

"Sorry," Avalon laughed, "Habit."

Steevo shook his head and turned back to packing.

"You about ready to go?" Avalon asked.

"Yeah, we're ready. I just wish you was comin' with us," Steevo said.

"I know, but I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just … can't go back … not yet at least."

"What, you think people will blame you or something?"

"They should."

"Ridiculous," Steevo grunted.

"Yeah, well."

"Hey, Avs," Fingers and Peanut came bounding up to them, "Listen to this poem we wrote up in memory of Mums and Pappy."

They coughed pretentiously and began, each reading one line.

"O why, O why,

Did they take the girl and guy

that Azula must Die

O why, O why"

There was a stunned, embarrassed silence after they finished.

"Soooo? What do you guys think? Think they'll engrave it on their headstone?" Peanut asked eagerly.

Avalon was the first to regain her composure, "Sure they will, Peanut."

"Oh, yeah, absolutely," Jamie agreed quickly.

"No competition," Steevo said from behind his hand, trying valiantly not to laugh, and failing. he was the first to let out the suppressed laughter, followed shortly by Avalon and Jamie.

"What? What's so funny?" Fingers grumbled.

"I love you guys," Avalon laughed, "I really do."

Fingers and Peanut slapped a high five and hoisted their bags upon their shoulders. Jamie and Steevo followed suit.

"Bye," Avalon said as she hugged them one by one. To her surprise, nearly the whole troupe gathered around to say their farewells.

"You be safe!" Avalon called to their backs. Fingers turned around and gave her a wave.

"Everything seems less … bright without them," Katara commented.

"Yeah, I didn't know they'd become so … popular," Avalon said, "I'll miss them, for sure. I always do."

The crowd had dismembered and now it was only Avalon and Katara standing by the gates of the city.

"So, Toph and Sokka," Katara said wistfully.

Avalon laughed, "Yeah."

"How'd you know?"

"Toph stiffened up so much the mud practically turned into solid ground when Sokka walked in."

Katara smiled at Avalon's joke, but with sadness in her eyes. She had seen the way Sokka looked whenever he even thought about Suki, or her name was mentioned. She may be missing in action, but Sokka was so infatuated with her he could probably bring her back from the grave if he had to.

Later that day, Avalon went for a walk outside of the protective walls. She strolled through the field lands that surrounded the city and made its economy. Many of the fields were overrun with weeds and misuse.

"Avalon," a voice called after her. Avalon turned around and saw Zuko leaping through the tall grass after her. She smiled and waved at him.

"Hey, mind if I go with you?" Zuko asked hopefully.

"Not at all, Sunshine." Avalon's hand flew up to her mouth, thunderstruck at the word that had come out of her mouth. There was a silence as her brain seriously considered kicking her mouth of her face, or at least shoving a fist in it.

"Wow," Zuko sighed, "It feels good to here that."

"Yeah, well," Avalon smiled, "It feels good to say it." And it did.

"So, I wanted to talk to you about something," Zuko began.

"Okay," Avalon said guardedly.

Zuko knew what tracks the train of her mind was running down, but that wasn't what he had followed her out here to talk about, "I don't … I don't think I can do it."

"What? Talk?"

"No," Zuko said patiently, "Everything. Kill my sister. Help save the world. Run a nation."

Avalon sucked in a deep breath, she didn't have much experience giving pep talks like this, "Let's start with the first thing. Azula. You have to stop thinking of her like your sister or you'll never be able to do what is necessary. Get over that hurdle, and we'll talk about the rest."

Zuko smiled shyly, "Now who sounds like Katara?"

"Oh, shut it," Avalon grinned back.

"But I don't think I can do that," Zuko said, dropping back into solemnity.

"Of course you can," Avalon soothed.

"No, I can't," he disagreed.

"Why not?"

"I can't kill her. I can't even touch her!"

Avalon sighed, "A long time ago, Iroh told me something. He told me what you had to do. I don't know how he knew then, but he did. And he told me I had to do everything in my power to make sure it happened. Confused as I was, I sat down with my guitar and wrote a song about it."

Zuko's eyes and insides brightened up noticeably. Avalon smiled to herself as she pulled the guitar case, which had been in the care of Aang during their whole trip to Ruby Lake, from her back, took her guitar out, and plopped down in the tall, waving grass. After a minute of patient tuning, she commenced.

Zuko let the upbeat music lift him from the ground he was sitting on. He couldn't remember the last time Avalon had sang exclusively for him. And he was loving it.

"_You see the world through your cynical eyes.  
You're a troubled young man I can tell.  
You've got it all in the palm of your hand,  
But your hand's wet with sweat and your head needs a rest_

_And you're fooling yourself if you don't believe it.  
You're kidding yourself if you don't believe it.  
Why must you be such an angry young man,  
When your future looks quite bright to me?  
How can there be such a sinister plan  
that could hide such a lamb, such a caring young man?_

_You're fooling yourself if you don't believe it.  
You're kidding yourself if you don't believe it.  
Get up; get back on your feet.  
You're the one they can't beat and you know it.  
Come on; let's see what you've got.  
Just take your best shot and don't blow it._

_You're fooling yourself if you don't believe it.  
You're killing yourself if you don't believe it.  
Get up; get back on your feet.  
You're the one they can't beat and you know it.  
Come on; let's see what you've got.  
Just take your best shot and don't blow it."_

Zuko sat in contemplative silence as Avalon lay back next to him.

I can do it, he thought, on one condition. She'll be right there next to me.

Zuko glanced over at Avalon. Her eyes were closed, her hands crossed behind her head. A small snore escaped her lips. He broke into a smile, and lay down next her, closing his eyes, letting the breeze wash him anew.

**Author's note - Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) by Styx and thanks again to penz rite stuf for the eulogy :**


	13. Hello, I Love You

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. But I do own Avalon! I just found that out the other day …**

Avalon shook Zuko awake urgently.

"What? What?" he snapped, shoving her prying hands away.

"Zuko, c'mon," she laughed, destroying all senses of danger Zuko had, "It's raining."

It was a soft rain, gentle even. It pattered lightly and inoffensively against Zuko's face. The entire landscape was swirling with the joy that the healing rain brought with it. Plants stood up straighter, flowers bloomed brighter, welcoming the shower with open arms.

Avalon's now-long hair was matted down and sticking to her face despite her best efforts.

"Don't you like the rain?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, sure, I guess. But I'm wet," she said bluntly.

"So?"

"So? So, I'm wet," she said, "That's it. No so."

"Don't you like the feel of the rain though?"

"Yeah, it's nice," Avalon shrugged, "Why are you so Zen all of sudden?"

"Zen?"

"Yeah, you know," Avalon waved her hands vaguely, "Zen."

"You're so weird," Zuko chuckled. Avalon's eyebrow cocked up.

"Thanks," she said sarcastically.

"No, no," said Zuko hurriedly, "It's a good thing." Avalon crossed her arms. Not a good sign, thought Zuko, why must I let my mouth run wild?

The she grinned playfully and flipped her soaking hair behind one shoulder, "Whatever."

Zuko's face broke into a smile of relief. He opened his face toward the sky, letting the rain catch him full on. He even held his arms out and tried a little twirl.

"What _are_ you doing?" Avalon giggled at him.

"Dancing in the rain," Zuko shrugged, "I've heard good things about it."

"Zuko, can I tell you something," Avalon asked, suddenly shy.

"Sure, Ava, what's up?" Zuko dropped his arms and moved closer to her. She nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment, debating with herself. A song, long forgotten in the depths of her mind, rose to the surface.

"The sun's coming up," she said quietly.

Zuko nodded; he felt the fire in his soul swelling with the rise of its source power. There was no hint of the sun in the sky though. The clouds blocked out all of the light, making the world a gray blanket.

"C'mon," she said suddenly, grabbing his arm and pulling him up into the air. They broke through the clouds in a short second and were flying high above them. Zuko gazed around in wonder; this was a whole new world up here. He could almost imagine people living in the clouds, in the canyons and mountains that made them up. The sky-world was dusky, but getting lighter by the minute. At any moment, the sun would make its first appearance of the day, only to be seen by them. Sort of like a private showing, Zuko mused.

Entranced by the new world below him that was rapidly turning pink with the first of the sun's rays, Zuko didn't hear Avalon start to sing, at least not with his ears. The words went straight to his brain.

They bubbled from Avalon's mouth, via a mind of their own.

"_Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,  
and I say it's all right_

_Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter  
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here  
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun  
and I say it's all right_

_Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces  
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here  
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun  
and I say it's all right_

_Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...  
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...  
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...  
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...  
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes..._

_Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting  
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear  
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,  
and I say it's all right  
It's all right"_

Zuko laughed. It was his song. The laughs over took him, filling him with an insuppressible joy. Avalon laughed with him, and neither really knew why. There was no specific reason for it, but oftentimes that is the best kind.

They descended back into the gray of the world fearfully; neither wanting to lose what had just been gained above the clouds.

"Hey … Sunshine," Avalon said, waiting until their feet touched ground to make sure that the thought was as solid as she hoped it was and not a passing cloud of one, "… I love you."

She didn't give him a chance to respond however, pressing herself against him and kissing him like she hadn't done for so long.

Zuko's hands slid up her spine, cradling her neck and tangling in her hair. He wished more than anything that he could take this feeling and this moment and trap them in a bottle so that they would always be at his disposal, whenever he needed them. Hey, he thought, if I play my cards right, I might just get that wish.

"I love you too," Zuko said breathlessly, when they finally pulled away. Avalon giggled once more, her face then transforming to portray the unfathomable happiness that was burning up her body. He dragged her close again and kissed her deeply, reveling in every second. Avalon was guarded though. Zuko could tell. Her spine was stiff and her hands tense.

The kiss was cut short. Avalon and Zuko were thrown to the ground. Zuko twisted his body so that he landed on top of Avalon, catching himself before he crushed her and protecting her with his body. Simultaneously, they whipped their heads up to see what had caused the explosion.

The city was burning.

**Author's note – Sorry this is such a short chapter but I've had serious writer's block for the past few days. Hope you all enjoy it anyway! Feel free to review :**


	14. A Day in the Life

**Disclaimer: I sill don't own ATLA.**

Avalon was a blur in the distance before Zuko even got to his feet. He raised his arms in annoyance before taking off at a dead run. Flames licked at the sky, fueled by the burning timbers that had once been their safe haven. As his legs pumped against the ground, Zuko's conscious subsided, letting the muscles take over.

It traveled through the twisted corridors of his mind, wandering aimlessly. It ended up outside a door that had "dread portal" written all over it. He knew what memory lay inside the door, and hey, it couldn't hurt to open it now. It might just make him angry enough.

_(Zuko's POV)_

_I feel the fire tingling in my body, starting in the tips of my toes, and then creeping up to fill me. The feeling was so …right. I feel so whole, like I haven't in such a long time. Every hole that eats away at my heart fills with fire. The night sky above me, the comet blazing on the horizon, I charge the palace. _

_Running through these halls, memories bombard me. Me, as a child, darting down them, Mother yelling at me to slow down, but laughing as she did. Mother. Her memory only fuels my anger. The pictures on the walls glare down at me, the past kings judging me as I run. He should be around here somewhere. _

_I hadn't realized it, but fire has enveloped my fists. It must be the comet, for I put in no conscious effort. I throw open the giant, gaudy doors into the throne room. The fire that normally surrounds the Fire Lord, my father, is gone. Which means that he is._

_I curse under my breath and pound on the pillar two to the right and three straight away from the throne. A door opens before me and I walk into the blackness that melts before my fiery forearms. _

_Follow the twisting staircases. Turn right at the fork at the bottom. Take the second passage to the left. _

_Wait, I halt for a moment. Ozai must've known that we were coming, there's no way he wouldn't. Which mean that he isn't going to be in the royal "coward's palace", as I call it. He's going to be somewhere else, somewhere discreet. I think hard and fast. I have to get to Ozai when the comet is at its peak in the night sky._

_First, I try my room down in the bunker. No go. Then I try Azula's. Still, no Ozai. Where is he?_

_Something, destiny maybe, pulls at me, dragging me to my mother's long abandoned bunker room. I pause before I enter; something tells me he is in here. I can practically taste the evil in the air. I say a few words to my mother, calling out to her wherever she is, asking for help. Finally, one last thought traipses through my mind. I love you, Avalon, no mater what._

_I do not try secrecy. I burst open the doors with a fire kick. Ozai fills my vision. With an angry cry, I rush him, shooting fireballs. He blocks them easily, without even turning to look at me._

"_Zuko," he says, and I hear the scornful smile in his voice, "Come back for round two?"_

"_It's over, Ozai," I snarl._

"_That's father, to you," he replies coolly, sending a fire blast at me._

"_You're not my father. You never were, you never will be," I shout, growing even more furious. Fire creeps up my arms, swathing my whole body in flames. Ozai is in the same state, a fiery beam of a person. Fool, I think, don't waste your breath shouting at the man. Just finish him._

_I put everything that I have into my attacks, but Ozai blocks them with easy, returning them with three times the intensity. Images flashed through my mind rapidly. Iroh, laughing as he served tea in the Jasmine Dragon, trying to teach me how to bend lightning in that gods-forsaken, barren land, loving me as if I were his own son._

_I remember what Katara and Aang had told me. How it was Aang's destiny to kill the Fire Lord. But if he's dead, then who cares? I'm here, I can do it. I will._

_My hands move with a mind of their own, a mind that had listened to every word Iroh ever said, no matter how ridiculous it had sounded at the time. Something new fills me, not just the warmth of fire, something else, something sharp, and so hot it's cold._

_Lightning! I'm doing it! I can see Ozai's face, he is shocked. The last time we met, I had redirected his own lightning back at him, but he wasn't expecting this. Blue streaks shot from my fingertips and power overwhelms my body. I am drunk on it, losing ambition and the ability to make decisions. All I want to do is kill him. _

_The lightning hits him, square in the chest. The fool, he never learned to redirect the lightning. That was always his way. All offense, no defense. I walk calmly towards his body, lying prone on the ground. Is it over? Something wells up in my throat, drowning out the power of the lightning. I stand over him, and his eyes open. They are glazed, but still alive. Oh god, I think, he's still in there. _

_A laugh startles me. It comes from the corner of the large room, the corner that I had ignored when I entered, for I was so intent on Ozai._

_Azula steps out of the shadows, clapping her hands slowly. It is the only sound in the room, echoing off the walls._

"_Well, well, Zuzu," she says, "Who knew that you had it in you?"_

_She walks over to me, and I tense and back away._

"_Don't worry, Zuzu, I'm not going to hurt you," she smiles, "Yet."_

"_Not another step Azula," I warn her, feeling as helpless as I used to. No, I am not helpless._

_She stops, obeying me for once, "I see he's still alive," she comments dryly._

_I don't respond._

"_So, finish him," she eggs me on, "That's what you're here for."_

_She backs away, and I take my place over him. I look down into his eyes, the same molten gold orbs that he gave me. They stare at me, obliging. I try to glare at him, but traitor tears fall from me eyes. _

"_Show no weakness," Azula urges me. _

_Ozai's body starts shuddering. I realize, with a dread shock, that he is laughing._

"_Come son," he chokes, "Do something … right … for once."_

_His comment fills me with more anger than I know what to do with. I shut my eyes, trying to hold it in. My hands creep to the hilts of my broadswords. _

"_Come on, Zuko!" Azula spurs me on, irritation clear in her voice._

_I look one last time at my father, still trying to laugh at me, scorn me._

_One of my swords is raised over his body, poised for the end. Azula is smiling in that nasty way of hers, I hear her through the red mist filling my ears and eyes._

"_Truly, Zuzu, you are my brother." _

_With one swift stroke, I almost end his suffering. But I make the mistake of looking into his eyes right before my swords plunges into his chest._

"_No, I'm not," I whisper._

_Azula's eyes, possibly the only thing we have in common, widen in surprise and anger and disappointment. Her lips tighten into a sneer, and she sends a bolt of lightning at Ozai, killing him once and for all._

"_You're weak Zuko!" she screams at me, "You always have been!" _

_The comet has ended, and I am left with a feeling of complete emptiness. I doubt if I could even shoot a fireball. Azula closes the gap between us, her arm cocked for a punch. I grab her wrist as she comes at me._

"_No," is all I can say. I twist her arm and she flips with it, her body twisting accordingly. She lands on her feet, but I sweep them out from under her before she can find her footing. On the floor, one of my feet resting on her chest, she glares at me. _

"_Why do you think you're doing this?" she snarls._

"_Honor," I reply simply, "I finally have my honor." _

_Aang rushes into the room, finally. I smile inside. He takes in the scene in a second. _

"_Come on, Zuko," he calls to me, "It's over. Leave her."_

_Oh shit, what am I going to do with Azula? My instincts tell me not to leave her, but do I have a choice? She makes it for me. She grabs my foot and sends me spinning away, jumping to her feet, shooting lightning at Aang. He leaps over it. _

"_Bad move, Zuzu," she says, "Don't misjudge me. I won't make the same mistakes as Father," here she laughs, "I will be the most powerful, the most cunning Fire Lord this nation as ever seen!"_

_I see the drunken power in her eyes, and now I understand it. _

_Aang grabs my arm, but I shake him off. Azula pisses me off so much. She smirks at me and then says, "Oh, Zuzu, there's someone who's just been _dying_ to see you."_

_Mai appears in the doorway. Uh-oh. _

"_Hello, Zuko," she says, her voice the same monotone it has always been._

"_Mai," I say, trying to be civilized._

"_Zuko, come on," Aang begs me, dodging another lightning bolt from Azula. They engage each other in an all-out fight. Which leaves Mai for me._

"_Mai," I begin._

"_Save it," she cuts me off, sending three sharp blades in the general direction of my heart, "I don't want to hear it."_

_Ugh, how could I ever feel anything for her? She is so …un-Avalon. Maybe that's why I needed her so much. She was nothing like Avalon, not in the slightest bit. That's what attracted me to her so much. She helped me forget what I had done to Avalon. _

"_I'm sorry," I try again, my voice sincere. I was sorry that I had used her like I had. I was sorry that I had hurt her, but there was no other option for me._

"_I don't care," she sneers. Well, I tried._

_Katara runs into the room, shouting for Aang._

_She grabs my arm as we flee. I wrench away from her, rushing back into the room._

"_Zuko, no!" she cries after me. It was a foolish move, and I pay for it. I redirect some of Azula's lightning, but part of it found its mark, and that's all that's needed. I don't remember Aang carrying me out of the bunker; I don't remember Katara healing me. _

_As I rushed into the burning city, I remember Azula's sneer, and my father's last words. I remember the compassion I felt swelling my throat shut, forbidding me to do anything to my father lying helpless on the floor. But now I know that I can kill Azula in a fair fight. I have the strength, I have the skill, and I can kill her if I get the chance. I don't want to, but I have to. _

_Compassion, I recall Iroh lecturing me on compassion and my mother too after I had thrown bread at the turtle-ducks in our pond. It is what sets me apart from the monsters that were my family. It is what I found during Sozin's Comet, and it is something I never want to lose again._

_(Third person POV)_

People were rushing out of the city like rats, scurrying away from the fire. Zuko found Avalon almost immediately, helping an older couple out.

"Where are the others?" he shouted over the crackle of the flames.

"Helping," Avalon replied, "Trying to get everyone out."

"What started this?" Zuko asked.

Avalon looked at him and rolled her eyes, like it should have been obvious. It was.

"Azula," Zuko stated glumly.

Avalon nodded, answering the question Zuko hadn't necessarily asked.

"Where is she?"

"Gone," Avalon said, "Her and a whole bunch of others just started the fire and left."

In the end, the city lost half of its population to the deathly fire. Aang was high above the city, looking vainly for survivors. As he gazed at the ruins of the city, something caught his eye. He frowned, and flew higher. The ashes …

Aang kept going up, striving for a better viewing point. Finally, as Aang looked down at the city, his assumptions were verified.

In the parts of the city where the burning was the worst, the very blackest parts where the fires had started, the ashes spelled out a message. _He Ping_, the city of peace.

**Author's note – Okay, so I was toying around with doing a chapter in Zuko's perspective for a while, so now seemed like the right time. That's the first time I've done anything other than third-person, and I think it went pretty well. Not horrible at least. So, yeah, R&R. Please? **


	15. Here We Go Again

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA, but I'm SUPER excited about the new episodes this week!! Anyone else??**

**Author's Note – Okay, I'm really sorry about the wait. I went on vacation for a week and there was no computer and then the next week I went to tennis camp. I totally meant to warn you guys about it on my last chapter but I guess I forgot. Sorry, again! R&R**

Appa dominated the blue sky he flew through like a whale in the ocean. The joy of flight, no strings attached, was something he enjoyed as much as Avalon.

Six people sprawled across Appa's back. Sokka had his place on Appa's head, looking for danger. Toph lay huddled against the lip of the saddle near Sokka in the front, trying vainly to nap. Aang and Katara sat against the side, playing Cat's Cradle with a thread of shimmering water, twisting it with their fingers. Avalon lay on her back, legs hooked over the edge of the saddle, lazily picking at her guitar. Zuko sat across from her, pretzel-legged, elbow on knee, chin in palm, watching her.

Hakoda and the others had been left at the burnt city, aiding and rebuilding the homes that had been destroyed there. The decision to go to He Ping with only a small force had been Aang's, and no one, not even Hakoda, could sway him.

Everyone knew of He Ping, the city of peace, or at least of its legend. Everyone except for Avalon, that is, because she wasn't very learned in the history of the world. She hadn't even known of the Avatar when she first met Aang. Her upbringing in the independent town of Ruby Lake had left her ignorant to the outside culture.

* * *

He Ping was actually a mountainous island in the very center of the World's Ocean. It was said to be a beautiful place, with hanging gardens of orchids, lilies, lilacs, and many other fragrant flowers and buildings built with all the nations' styles intermingled, surrounded by an ocean that is as clear as a summer's midday sky.

In the old days, people of all nations lived there, but since the beginning of the war no one has been to or heard from the people of the island.

At the top of the island's central mountain, a temple of exquisite beauty is said to exist. The legendary Monks of He Ping reside there.

* * *

They had not been in the air more than an hour when Avalon stood up and stretched.

"Potty break," she explained, and stepped backwards off of the saddle. The second she was out of site, Katara broke off her game with Aang and Toph awoke from her "nap" and they planted themselves right in front of Zuko. Sokka turned around to see what they were doing and he shrugged at Aang, who returned the gesture and hopped up by Sokka.

"So, Zuko, what's going on?" Katara began in what she thought was a breezy tone of voice.

"Nothing," Zuko replied tersely.

"Yeah, right," Toph scoffed at him, "We all know that you two disappeared before right before the fire started."

"And you haven't taken your eyes off of her for a moment," Katara added.

"I'm just … making sure she doesn't fall off … or anything," Zuko said lamely, the words dying before they even left his mouth.

"You can tell us, Zuko," Katara said, coming at him from a different side.

Zuko's mouth hung open, unsure of what to say. He hadn't really had a chance to talk to Avalon during the rush of the fire and setting out on the journey.

Luckily, Avalon saved him.

"Lay off, guys," she said, surprising them with her sudden appearance and taking a seat by Zuko's side. To him, she stage-whispered, "You have to watch out for these two, Sunshine. Katara may be a Waterbender, but she can give the third degree like not even a Firebender can."

"Not funny," Katara rolled her eyes as Sokka and Aang snickered loudly enough for her to hear. But Avalon's response and her choice of seating had satisfied Katara's curiosity.

Not Toph's though, for she had no idea what was happening, only what she heard through her ears.

"So, what? Are you two-" Katara's hand clapped over Toph's mouth, halting any form of communication.

"Later," she whispered to Toph. The saddle went back to its former leniency and before too long Toph finally found her elusive nap, Aang stretched out on Appa's sun-warmed fur, and Avalon's head drooped onto Zuko's shoulder, and then into his lap. Zuko lay back as best as he could but found sleep impossible. Katara, too, could not sleep. She watched the little heart-warming scene with almost as much gratitude as Zuko felt. Sokka sang to himself quietly as he steered, though Appa knew where to go.

The peace was broken as a fire ball flew through the sky, missing Appa by almost ten feet, but scaring him enough to jerk and send the gang from sleep straight to battle stances. Zuko peered down over Appa's side and recognized the ship far below them.

"Hey, my ship!" he exclaimed. Everyone glanced warily at him, but he didn't notice.

"Who's the idiot firing?" he asked himself, "If that had been my crew, we never would've missed. I know those catapults are in top shape."

"Well, that's comforting," Avalon almost yelled at him, her voice a decibel below screaming.

Zuko for the first time noticed their stares, and he lowered his eyes to his feet, ashamed of his thoughts. Avalon ran her hands over her face and came out smiling, trying to ease the tension, not solely caused by the Fire Nation ship below, that had settled over them

"Let's just see who it is, shall we?" she said brightly, flinging herself off of Appa's safe bulk.

"No!" the remaining five called after her. They watched in horror as she landed on the deck and confronted the man who had fired the catapult. Aang kept Appa a safe distance away, knowing that if Avalon needed to escape, she could easily.

The rest of the crew spilled out on to the deck encircling the small, blonde figure. There weren't many, only four people and the captain, the bare minimum needed to operate the ship. Their horror melted into surprise and then confusion though, as Avalon rushed the captain and caught him in a hug. She seemed to be laughing, as happy as could be.

She turned and waved at Appa, beckoning them closer. Aang and Katara exchanged glances, and then looked at Zuko to see if he knew what was going on. He shrugged at them.

"Let's go then," Zuko said.

"Okay," Aang sighed, leading Appa towards the ship. Avalon was still entangled in the man's arms, talking animatedly to him. Toph was the first off Appa, eager to know what was going on. The other four remained for a second, out of shock if nothing else.

"It is truly wonderful to see you again," they heard the captain say to Avalon.

"I've missed you," Avalon agreed, "We all have." She looked at Zuko and then made room for him in the man's arms.

"Uncle," Zuko breathed. Iroh released Avalon and faced his nephew head on. For a moment, no one was sure if Iroh was going to hit Zuko or hug him. But Iroh smiled and held his arms open to Zuko like he used to when Zuko was just a boy. Zuko almost tackled him, and he would have if Iroh had been in the same shape Zuko had last seen him in. But running into Iroh was now was like running into a wall.

"I'm so sorry, Uncle," Zuko said in the middle of the embrace.

Iroh just smiled, happy to be reunited with his surrogate son. The smile ran from face to face, each for different reasons. Avalon smiled because she loved Iroh just as much as she did Zuko. Katara smiled because this was one of those moments that she craved. Toph smiled because to her, Iroh was like a god. Aang and Sokka smiled because they knew what wisdom Iroh would bring this expedition.

Appa settled on the ship, causing it to sway and throw everyone off balance. He grunted at them as they laughed at him. Quarters were set up and the ship's direction changed. Aang filled Iroh in on the purpose of the trip, and what he thought it meant. Iroh nodded his wise head with everything Aang said.

"It is wonderful to hear such wisdom in one so young," Iroh complimented.

Aang blushed, "I'm glad you're coming with us, Iroh."

"So, He Ping," Iroh muttered.

"Have you been there?" Sokka asked urgently.

"Me? No," Iroh shook his head, "But I have heard the rumors."

"Rumors? What rumors?" Avalon cut in.

"What do you know of the Monks of He Ping?" Iroh asked her in that answer-a-question-with-another-question way of his.

"Um, just that they abhor all types of violence and war, and they used to help make the peace if any nation had a problem with another nation," Avalon said, her eyes screwed shut as she tried to remember all the things the others had told her.

"That is true. If a nation had a dispute with another nation, over land or something similar to that, then they would go to He Ping and the Monks would help to resolve the argument. Minor wars were ended there. The Monks never left He Ping. The nations would have to go to the island if they wanted help," Iroh paused for a sip of tea, "But that all ended when the 100 Years War started. The three nations, Water, Earth, and Air, went to He Ping to plead with the Monks to step in and stop the Fire Nation. The Monks refused to leave. Sozin, your grandfather," Iroh looked at Zuko, "traveled to He Ping, wanting the power that the Monks are said to behold. He was not admitted on the island, and it is the only known time in history that the Monks had turned to threats of violence to make Sozin leave. He did, and no one has been to He Ping since. Many say that the island is no longer hospitable to all and so they loath it and that disguises their fear of the place."

"Fear?" Avalon interrupted, "What power are these Monks supposed to have?"

"Brain control," Sokka replied, waving his fingers over his head and wavering his voice dramatically.

Avalon frowned contemplatively and looked to Iroh for confirmation. He nodded.

"Brain control?" she said, still doubting.

"That is only a rumor," Iroh reminded her, "But I am told that they have the most excellent tea on the island."

Avalon looked at Zuko and they laughed together, their minds suddenly flooded with memories of the Jasmine Dragon.

"So why would Azula want to go there?" Avalon asked, her curiosity not yet sated.

"Well," Aang began, "We think she wants to make a peace treaty."

Avalon's mouth hung open, this statement more unbelievable and improbable than brain-controlling Monks.

"Azula? Treaty?" she almost laughed with the thought.

"Why else?" Aang asked, "Or maybe she wants a place to talk to us, a place where no one is in any danger."

"We're talking about _Azula_ here, right? Psycho-bitch Azula? I don't think you can be anywhere with Azula and not be in danger."

"I second that. Especially the psycho-bitch part," Sokka said.

Katara was about to give him a quick slap upside the head, but Toph beat her to the punch.

"Shut it, Meathead," she said. Sokka rubbed the back of his head and glared at her in a respectful sort of way.

"Nevertheless," Aang huffed, "It can't hurt us to try."

"Yes, yes it can," Avalon said quickly, thinking off all the misfortunes that could befall them.

Aang threw his hands up in the air in an uncharacteristic show of annoyance, "We're going. That's final."

The room grew silent; the only movement was the rocking of the boat.

"Sorry Aang," Avalon said quietly, not quite sure what she was apologizing for.

"It's just …" Aang began and then paused, "My whole life has been this war. From the moment I became the Avatar it's been 'How are you going to stop the Fire Nation?' or 'How are you going to save us?' or 'Why can't you do anything right?', and now I get a chance to possibly end it with a peace treaty of all things, and there is nothing I want more." Aang didn't even glance at Katara when he said that, though he loved her so, "I'm tired, and if this is what it takes, just this, then I'll take whatever minor risks I have to. If anyone disagrees with me, then Appa and I can take you to the closest land and drop you off."

Iroh patted Aang's forearm, "We are with you, Avatar." His oath spread throughout the room and everyone murmured sounds of agreement.

Sokka stood up and put his hand out, palm down. Aang was the first to lay his slender hand on top of Sokka's. Avalon laughed at their melodramatics as she joined them and put her hand on top of Aang's. Katara, Toph, Zuko and Iroh were quick to follow. Even Iroh's small crew, including Ming, his prison guard, joined.

"Good," Aang sighed, relieved, his childish smile splitting his face wide open.

"Here we go again," smiled Avalon, jerking her hand near the bottom of the pile up and scattering everyone elses.

**Author's Note – Wow, two in one chapter, ain't this special. Anyway, just have a little fun fact for you guys. In Chinese, He Ping means peace according to this baby names website. Ah, the things we get our information off of. So yeah, I'm sure you're all smart enough to connect the dots :) Don't forget to review!! They're always appreciated.**


	16. Closer to the Heart

**Disclaimaaaaa: Okay, once again, I don't own Avatar – The Last Airbender no matter how much I want to.**

"NO!" Avalon moaned, hands covering her discouraged face.

"Maybe next time," Iroh soothed her, reaching over to pat her back. She shook his hand off and pulled her head up to glare at him.

"Shut it," she snarled playfully.

"Loose again, Avalon?" Sokka laughed tramping onto the deck. They had been on the ship nonstop for three days, and, Avalon realized, Sokka was developing a knack for showing up at the wrong moments.

"Shut up! Let's see you try to beat him, Sokka. You wouldn't last two minutes," she made a face at him. Sokka returned the favor.

"It can't be _that_ hard," Sokka said airily, only to annoy Avalon.

Avalon stuck her lower jaw out and glared at him.

"Well," Iroh said, starting to gather up his Pai Sho pieces, "I am going for a hot cup of tea. Does anybody wish to join me?"

"No!" Avalon snapped quickly, "No tea until I beat you!"

Iroh's face grew horrified, "But then I will never drink tea again!"

"That's not funny," she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, actually it is," Sokka said, guffawing in her face. Avalon stormed off, throwing her hands in the air.

"Ahaha, who knew she was so competitive? I'll have to beat her at things now," Sokka winked at Iroh. Iroh stood up and stretched and nodded at Sokka before taking his bag of Pai Sho pieces and heading inside for his celebratory cup of tea.

As soon as Avalon was out of sight, she cooled off and smiled at herself and went over the disastrous Pai Sho game in her mind, trying to find out where she had gone wrong.

"Agreeing to play him, that's where I went wrong," she grumbled to herself.

"Talking to yourself again?"

Avalon's head snapped up reflexively towards the sound of Zuko's voice. She was leaning against the railing, her back to the deck. She closed her eyes and smiled hollowly as Zuko took up his place at her side, trying to fight back to leap of panic his voice had induced.

"Yeah, well, it's Iroh's fault. He's driving me crazy."

"Decided to play Pai Sho with him?"

"Yep," Avalon smiled, this time for real, her eyes still closed.

"Yeah, that will do it. I should know," Zuko laughed quietly and covered Avalon's small hand with his own. Avalon opened her eyes then and found his. Zuko leaned in to kiss her slowly. In mid-smooch, snickering filled the air around them.

They ripped apart immediately to see Toph and Sokka watching them and laughing. Zuko's face scrunched up angrily and he clutched Avalon's hand tight.

"Geez, Toph, looks like we're the only two on this ship with our heads on straight," Sokka laughed again.

"Yeah," Toph agreed quickly, and Avalon smiled to herself.

"_Sokka_," Zuko growled furiously, his skin pulled taut over his face, making his scar seem angrier and redder than before.

"Whoa, whoa, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt your-"

"Go!" Zuko half-screamed at Sokka before he could finish.

"I don't think we should leave these two alone, Sokka. Who knows what they do when they're _alone_," Toph snickered again. Sokka glanced at her, his eyes filled with respect for the fourteen year-old girl.

"Yeah, I think you're right, Toph," Sokka agreed, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest.

Zuko's mouth had fallen open in embarrassed horror, and he risked a glance to his side to see Avalon as red as a tomato.

"Come on, let's go somewhere else," Zuko said only loud enough for her to hear, and started away.

"Actually," Avalon said, "I have kitchen duty now. Sorry." With one more mortified look in Sokka's and Toph's direction and a small smile for Zuko, she fled into the kitchens.

Zuko let his head fall back and moaned softly.

"Oh, look what we've gone and done, Sokka," Toph teased loudly.

Before Sokka could respond, Zuko leapt into action, chasing after them. Sokka whooped with surprise and excitement, and shoveled Toph into his arms so Zuko couldn't catch her.

"Meathead! Put me down!" Toph struggled against him. Sokka paused for a moment, shocked by his rash action and Toph's infernal struggling. It was all Zuko needed to fly by, swiping at Sokka's legs and knocking him and Toph into a heap on the ground.

Zuko laughed loudly and scornfully at them, tangled on the deck. He retreated into the lower decks, sighing happily to himself.

"Get. Off. Me," Toph demanded.

"Whoops, sorry Toph," Sokka grinned easily, rolling off of her. She remained prone on the deck for the next few seconds, breathing hard.

"You alright?" Sokka asked, his voice suddenly full of concern.

"Fine," Toph snapped, more annoyance in her voice than she had intended. She hopped up and brushed herself off before huffing down the stairs to her cabin and slamming her door, something Sokka heard all the way on the upper deck.

He scratched behind his head, confused, and then went and sought out something else to do.

Down in the kitchens, Avalon sang softly to herself, the words tumbling out without permission from her mind. It was a common thing for her to do, sing mindlessly while working.

_"Sometimes I feel I've got to run away  
I've got to get away  
From the pain you drive into the heart of me.  
the love we share seems to go nowhere_

_And I've lost my light for I toss and turn - I can't sleep at night._

_Once I ran to you  
now I'll run from you_

_This tainted love you've given -  
I give you all a girl could give you.  
Take my tears and that's not living - oh  
tainted love - tainted love._

_Don't touch me please - I cannot stand the way you tease. _

_I love you though you hurt me so. Now I'm gonna pack my things and go._

_Once I ran to you  
now I'll run from you_

_This tainted love you've given -  
I give you all a girl could give you.  
Take my tears and that's not living - oh  
tainted love - tainted love."_

"Avalon?"

"Yes, Iroh?" Avalon turned and smiled pleasantly at him.

"Is something the matter?" he asked, creasing his wrinkled brow even more

"No, Iroh, everything's fine," she replied, but the line was too brightly delivered.

"I see that you and Zuko are … trying to work things out," Iroh said carefully.

Avalon sighed heavily, "Yeah, I guess."

Iroh waited for a moment, knowing not to push her.

"It's just …" Iroh smiled inwardly, he knew she would talk to him, "It's hard, you know?"

Iroh nodded, but didn't interrupt her train of thought.

"It's just hard to trust him again. I feel like I can't give him _everything, _or can't tell him everything, because last time … I did … and he …"

Iroh nodded again, "That is alright, dear. Those feelings are only normal. But you have to realize that he loves you more than anything-"

"I do!" she exclaimed, as if trying to defend herself.

"I know you do," Iroh pacified her again, "And you must know that he will do everything in his power to not hurt you again, or let you be hurt by anyone else."

"Where was that a year and a half ago?" she said softly, and then her eyes widened at the blasphemous thought. "I'm horrible," she slammed her hands down on the counter.

"No, you are not. And Zuko is different than he was in Ba Sing Se. There, an old part of him still controlled bits of his actions, but now that part is gone completely."

"How do you know?" Avalon whispered.

Iroh contemplated this for a moment, and Avalon was half-scared he wouldn't answer.

"I guess I do not, only by my own observations have I come to that conclusion. But my observations will not satisfy you. They are something you have to come by for yourself," Iroh mused, "But I do know that you two will never make it if you cannot find it in yourself to trust him again."

"I don't know how to," Avalon admitted softly.

"Do you love him?" Iroh asked bluntly.

"Well, yeah!"

"And we have already established that he loves you. So, what is there to be scared of?"

Avalon gaped at him for a moment, and then, "Abandonment," she confessed, "I'm scared he'll abandon me like he did in Ba Sing Se. It didn't matter so much that he turned against the Avatar again, he was always against the Avatar and that was a mountain that I climbed a long time ago, but he saw me there, Iroh. He saw me fighting, getting beaten, and he saw me dragged away by soldiers and he didn't do a damn thing about it!" Avalon's voice had risen, she was practically shouting.

"He was being, if I may be so frank with a lady, an idiot," Iroh agreed, "He was blind to what he really wanted and needed. But now, I think, his priorities have changed. He sought out the Avatar, did he not? He taught Aang Firebending and joined the fight against his own Nation. He is looked upon as a traitor of the blackest degree there, and he does not seem to care. He did not know how much of a part of him you had become, and now he values your love more than anything, because he knows what it is like to live without it."

Avalon slumped, defeated by Iroh's logic yet again.

"Love will find a way," Iroh smiled, using one of Avalon's favorite axioms, "It always does."

Avalon grinned at him, and then pushed away from the counter determinedly, "You're right, Iroh. Now I have some thing to take care of."

"Wait," Iroh called after her retreating figure, "Aren't you on kitchen duty?"

She turned around quickly and gave him a puppy dog face, and Iroh stood defenseless against it. He sighed heavily and turned to the pots and pans, rolling up his sleeves and muttering to himself.

* * *

Zuko paced across his room, confused and upset by Avalon's actions on the deck.

Had she just been embarrassed? Was it that embarrassing for her to be with him, a traitor to his Nation? Would she ever be able to trust him again?

Zuko flopped onto his bed, frustrated by his unanswered questions.

He didn't look up when the door creaked open, not in the mood for talk. Neither was Avalon, for she hopped up on his bed and before he knew what was going on, she was kissing him.

Zuko's eyes opened slowly, taking in her face in the dim light. He let them close again before reaching out and wrapping his arms around her waist. She pulled away a few moments later and smiled happily at Zuko.

"Hello," Zuko said breathlessly to her.

"Hi!" she smiled again, blinding Zuko in the dull light.

"What's, uh … what's up?" Zuko asked, slightly confused. Happy, but confused.

"Nothing," she sing-songed, "Just wanted to see you again. Now I have to go back to the kitchens, though."

"Okay," Zuko replied, still breathless, still flabbergasted, "Bye?"

"Bye," she grinned and kissed him once more. Avalon ran all the way to the kitchens, only to find the dishes done, so she danced her way onto the deck. Ming and Katara were chatting, sunning themselves in laid-back chairs. They waved to her and she waved back. Sokka crept up behind them, hands gripping a large bucket of water, but before he could dump it on them, Avalon flew to his side, took the bucket, dumped it on him, and then kissed his cheek.

"That's for earlier," she giggled.

"What, the kiss or the water?"

"Both!" She left those three as confused as she had left Zuko. Toph wandered up and Avalon grabbed her hands and twirled her around before depositing her in Sokka's arms. Then she blasted up into the air, where she had seen Aang dart by a moment ago. She found him and twirled circles around him. Aang laughed and played along, it had been so long since he had flown with anyone. In mid-roughhouse, Avalon stopped and pointed through the flaky clouds to the ocean. Her eyes were as wide as they could be, and Aang grew scared for a moment, remembering the last time she had spotted something while they were flying together.

But this time, her eyes were full of wonder. Down below them, a jewel amidst the reaches of the sea, was He Ping.

**Author's Note – I totally just had a creative blast today, so I wrote another chapter. Yay for not having a life X), I wrote it really quickly though, because I actually do have somewhere to be but I couldn't let this slip away without writing it down and posting it first. And I'm slightly hyper, yay for mountain dew, so that might explain some things.**

**Tainted Love by Soft cell was featured in this chapter.**


	17. Share the Land

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.**

He Ping loomed before them, a rock quilted in the green of many plants with splashes of color breaking through. The greenery was beautiful enough, so were its many variants of the color green, that looking upon the vibrant flowers seemed an extra-special treat for the eyes.

"Wow," Avalon whispered, unable to bring her voice to normal speaking level.

The rest nodded reverently with her exclamation.

A tall woman stood at the edge of one of the four docks that protruded from the shore. She was wrapped in a white kimono, her long, dark hair flowing behind her in the wind.

Avalon and Zuko were the first off the boat to secure the moorings, but Aang followed them shortly, greeting the lady with a fist-in-the-palm bow. She returned the gesture and spoke.

Her voice seemed unnaturally loud because of the whispers that the gang had been speaking in. Avalon resisted the urge to shush her.

"We have been waiting for you, Avatar," she said, "Welcome to He Ping. My name is Oyi."

"Aang," Aang smiled, pointing to himself.

"I know," Oyi laughed, "We were not, however, expecting your friends."

Aang introduced everyone one by one, and Oyi measured each with her eyes, finding none of them lacking.

"Tell me," Aang said quickly, before Oyi could say something more, "Is the Firelord here?"

"Not yet. Do not worry, Avatar Aang, there will be time for worldly discussions later on," Oyi transitioned perfectly into her next topic of importance, "Well, for the moment you will have to squish into the accommodations we have made for the Avatar, but more will be made," she smiled genially, and led them to along the island, pointing out different buildings and plants.

The place was as exquisite as they had been told. The buildings combined the architectural designs of all four Nations, blending them into something more unique than just homes. Palaces and tiny shacks shared a wall. The roads winded in crazy directions because, as Oyi explained, the houses were built, and the roads followed. She stopped outside of a building after about a ten minute walk from the docks. One corner of the house hung out over the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea, and they could not for the lives of them figure out what held it there. The sea spread out below them was bluer than any had ever seen it before.

"I am sorry for putting you all together in here, but we must bear until we can make more room for you," Oyi said, regret lacing her voice.

"Um, I think this will be enough for all of us," Aang suggested distractedly.

"On, no!" Oyi exclaimed, "I would never even dream of making you stay together."

Aang glanced at Katara for help. She obliged quickly.

"Really, Oyi, it's okay. We all love each other, don't we guys?"

Everyone mumbled a response, their eyes drawn to the palace in front of them.

"If you insist …" Oyi trailed off uneasily.

"We do," Katara assured her.

"Very well," Oyi sighed, her hosting instincts quieted.

She let them inside and left, leaving an invitation to dinner later this evening and vowing to come get them again.

"All this for me?" Aang questioned out loud, scratching his head with a huge smile lighting up his face.

The Abode, as Sokka insisted on calling it, was a sixteen-room room architectural masterpiece. More than half of the house's walls had been replaced with giant glass windows, stretching from the soft, stone floor to the ceiling. The windows looked out over the ocean, so one got the idea of standing above it and looking down. There were a few lush rugs covering the floor. The rest of the walls were an off white. There were few decorations, but the ones that did exist were simple. The furniture was intensely comfortable. The rooms were divided into four, each set sharing a bathroom with an immense bath made of marble. There were little knobs and a spout at one end of the bath, and they confused all and challenged explanation.

"Maybe they're a way to draw a bath," Toph suggested, feeling them with her fingers and frowning.

"No, no," Sokka reprimanded, "Isn't it obvious? When you turn one of these knob thingies, it pokes a turtle-duck so it squawks and then the sound is carried back through this spout thing."

"Why would anyone want to hear turtle-ducks squawking when they're trying to bath?" Katara asked, rolling her eyes at her brother.

"So they think they're in a pond or surrounded by nature or something," Sokka answered, "I don't know, why don't you ask the person who invented it?"

"I am," Katara muttered.

"Why don't we turn one and find out?" Avalon proposed, curiosity lighting up her eyes. She crept carefully forward and turned one very slowly. Nothing happened. She frowned and cranked it until it would turn no more, and then the other one.

"Well, that's lame. It doesn't do …" her voice halted in its dissatisfaction. Water was pouring from the spout, filling the room with the soft whack of water hitting marble.

"What the hell is this place?" Avalon asked, backing away from the water and hiding behind Zuko.

They stared at it in wonderment and fear for a few more moments, before Sokka was urged to turn it off. He leapt upon the knobs, tugging at them forcefully.

"THEY'RE NOT MOVING!!" he screamed hysterically.

"That's because you're turning them in the wrong direction," Katara rolled her eyes a second time at her brother.

"Oh," Sokka huffed, trying to keep some shred of his pride as he calmly turned them off. A couple of seconds later, the water stopped.

Avalon, Katara, Toph, and Ming, the four girls, shared a quad of rooms. Sokka, Aang, Zuko, and Iroh shared another. The other three men from Iroh's crew split a third.

Avalon swan dived onto her bed and groaned, "I don't think I'm getting up, guys."

Toph tramped into to see what she was talking about.

"I feel like I'm wrapped in a cocoon. A nice, fluffy, warm cocoon. I feel safe." She smiled wistfully.

Toph laughed at her and snatched one of the throw pillows and threw it.

"Hey! What was that for?" Avalon grumbled, attempting to sit up.

"They're not called throw pillows for nothing," Toph challenged.

"Bring it, Blindie," Avalon retorted.

"Oh, it's brought, Thunder!" Avalon grinned at Toph's nickname for her.

"Thunder?"

"Yeah, because you're all words and no action!" Toph smiled triumphantly.

Katara walked into Avalon's room unsuspecting, and was taken aback and at first frightened by the floating white stuff in the air. A moment later though, she was ambushed by Toph and Avalon, each armed with two pillows.

"Stopitstopitstopit!" Katara screeched at them. They finally all collapsed upon Avalon big bed, its blankets hidden beneath the white feathers.

"That was fun," Avalon sighed.

"Yeah," Toph, and even Katara, agreed.

Ming appeared in the doorway, her face expressing her feelings of amusement at seeing the people who were closest and most influential to the world's Last Hope For Peace finishing their pillow fight.

"We are to be at dinner in five minutes," she announced smugly, rolling-on-the-floor-laughing inside.

"Oh, shit," Avalon flew off the bed and onto her feet, causing the feathers to fly back up in the air with her. Katara, Toph, and Avalon arrived downstairs still in their traveling clothes, looks of shame on their faces and feathers sticking haphazardly in their hair. Oyi clucked at them but smiled and told them to be along once they dressed. They nodded and hurried upstairs to change.

Avalon stayed in her traveling clothes, picking the feathers out of her hair and pulling it into a pony tail. Toph did the same. Katara opted for a cleaner set of clothes, a simple blue tunic and leggings. At second thought, Avalon grabbed her guitar case, just in case she got the opportunity.

Another person, a man this time, was waiting for them outside of the Abode. He smiled genuinely at them, but didn't speak a word. He led them silently up through the winding roads, and the girls got their first, real taste of He Ping. As they left the little seaside village, they entered the hanging gardens. Mighty trees towered above them, and from their branches millions of other plants thrived upside down. It was a miracle purely of Nature.

As they broke through the last of the hanging gardens, they spotted the temple. They didn't go any closer to it though, veering off to the left, to a long, low hall.

The man opened the door for the girls but closed the door after and didn't follow.

Inside, the brightly lit dining hall echoed with the friendly chattering of twenty people, including the rest of the gang. Oyi was there, and she waved the girls over. They took their seats promptly, embarrassed by being late. The others followed suit.

The man who honorably took his seat at the head of the table didn't look like a monk. All of the monks that Aang had ever known had been bald. It was an unspoken rule of monkdom.

The man had long, curly, white hair that ended just above the small of his back. A beard, almost equally as long, tangled with his hair. His clothes were plain, and his body almost frail looking. He even walked with the aid of a walking stick.

But his eyes were anything but old. They were vibrant and lively and kindly, light jade in color. There was something indescribably disturbing about them though, like they had seen too much.

Everyone rose until he sat again, and then he welcomed the gang, his voice as deep and strong as a river.

"Tonight, I am glad to welcome the Avatar and his friends to our table." The man nodded to Aang, who nodded back, all traces of childish humor gone. "I am Monk Jianyu, and these are four of my brothers." He gestured to the four similarly-clad men sitting around him. "So, Avatar, we will eat and not let our food be tainted by serious discussion. Leave your questions for later."

The food was delightfully simple. It was all vegetarian, much to Sokka's vocal dismay.

"Salad? Do you think I could get some roasted rabbit or something? Mm, I could go for some rabbit right now," he whispered loudly to Toph, smacking his lips. Avalon, on his other side, elbowed him sharply in the ribs. He rubbed his side as he turned to look at her.

"What?" he complained.

She turned her head stiffly one way and then the other.

"Okay, okay,"

After dinner, everyone settled back in their chairs and chatted some more. Avalon kept a close eye on Sokka, glaring at him warily every time he opened his mouth, until she was called upon to sing. Never needing a second call, she bestowed her duty on Toph and pulled her guitar out from where it was hiding underneath the table.

She tuned it for a few moments as usual, and then when she would usually just start, she looked up at her audience and asked, "So, what do you guys want to hear?"

"Do we actually have a choice in the matter?" Sokka muttered to himself; many times Avalon had denied him his requests, telling him that she was not a jukebox, and he could not stick a coin in her and expect her to do whatever he told her to. He always sneered and asked her sarcastically what in the world a jukebox was.

She ignored him brilliantly, her face not even moving after he had spoken.

"Something, oh, let's hear something original," Jianyu suggested.

"I think I have the perfect song for this occasion," Avalon nodded, "Only it is more of a piano song, so it will sound slightly off. Me and Fingers wrote it," she added as a side comment to those who knew Fingers.

The introductory bars were simple, yet strong, not unlike this whole island.

"_When I find myself in times of trouble  
__Mother Mary comes to me  
__Speaking words of wisdom  
_

_Let it be_

_And in my hour of darkness__  
She is standing right in front of me  
Speaking words of wisdom_

_Let it be  
__Let it be, let it be__  
Let it be, let it be  
Whisper words of wisdom  
Let it be_

_When all the broken hearted people  
__Living in the world agree  
There will be an answer_

_Let it be_

_For though they may be parted  
__There is still a chance that they will see  
There will be an answer_

_Let it be  
__Let it be, let it be__  
Let it be, let it be  
There will be an answer_

_Let it be  
Let it be, let it be  
Let it be, let it be  
Whisper words of wisdom  
Let it be"_

At this point, Avalon went into a solo obviously written for her, her eyes closed and her face raised to the ceiling and the sky above that, the music floating above the gathering in a cloud of hope and love.

"_Yeah, let it be, let it be  
Let it be, let it be  
There will be an answer  
Let it be_

_And when the night is cloudy  
There is still a light that shines on me  
Shine until tomorrow_

_Let it be_

_I wake up to the sound of music  
Mother Mary comes to me  
There will be no sorrow  
_

_Let it be_

Let it be, let it be  
Let it be, let it be_  
There will be no sorrow  
Let it be_

Let it be, let it be  
Let it be, let it be  
Whisper words of wisdom

_Let it be"_

The Monks all nodded along with the song, approving mightily of it. Avalon smiled happily to herself; that was all the praise she needed. A few of the village people clapped, but the gang knew better. The clapping brought a light blush to Avalon's face and she thanked them quietly.

The man who had escorted the girls to the dining hall appeared, and Jianyu and he shared a moment of unspoken communication.

"It would seem," the Monk sighed regretfully, "that Firelord Azula has arrived."

**Author's note – Okay, so the hanging gardens are not the same as the ones in Babylon. Those were actual gardens that someone planted and everything. The ones in He Ping were all Nature. Just don't want any confusion :) Let It Be by the Beatles was featured. Thanks for reading!**


	18. Fool's Paradise

**Disclaimer: I hold no ownership over the topics of which I write.**

Every spine at the table stiffened and straightened, every fist clenched, and every set of eyes shrunk to mere slits.

Azula strode in, surveying the occupants at the table with a careless glance. Flanking her on both sides were her two main cronies, Mai and Ty Lee. Zuko tightened his hand that was grasping Avalon's under the table. She read his reaction but wrote it off to Azula, not the tall, gloomy girl at her right.

"Welcome, Firelord," Monk Jianyu greeted her as warmly as he had Aang and his friends, "Will you sit and enjoy some food and drink?"

"I didn't come all the way here to eat. I could have done that easily in my Fire Nation," she smiled smugly, emphasizing the _my_, "No, I am here to talk."

"Later we will talk," Jianyu promised, unshaken by Azula's snotty response, "Our guests need their rest, so that their minds will be clear. Has the Firelord been shown to her lodging?" Jianyu directed to question to the mute man, who shook his head 'no'.

"Oyi, if you would please," Jianyu waved his hand towards the door. Oyi obliged, but fear was evident in her eyes. She, like all, had heard the stories of Azula's cruelty.

As soon as they had left the room, the whole table leapt to their feet. After Jianyu had assured them that they were safe at their Oceanside palace, the gang left, striking reluctantly for the Abode, and not their ship where they believed they would be safer.

Katara was trying out the bath, Toph and Ming had already gone to bed, and Avalon snuck quietly through the halls to the boys' quadrant. After peeking into Zuko's bedroom and finding him absent, she trotted back to her room, grabbed a blanket, and went outside.

Sure enough, Zuko was sitting alone on the roof of the porch, silently watching the island.

"Hey," she said, floating up behind him. Zuko jumped a mile, but then patted the ground next to him. Avalon sat next to him, leaning heavily into his side. Zuko's wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders, anchoring her to him.

"I can't sleep," Zuko said, "knowing that she's here."

"I know. Me neither," Avalon admitted.

Zuko kissed her forehead and they sat in watchful silence for a few minutes before Zuko spoke again, something more troubling than Azula on his mind.

"I talked to Iroh. He said that you … spoke to him … about you and me."

"Yeah," Avalon said uncomfortably.

"I don't trust me either," Zuko said quietly.

"What?" Avalon pulled out from Zuko's arm so that she could look in his eyes.

"I don't know what I'm going to do next either. I would love to tell you that I will never leave you, never hurt you again, but I don't know that. Not for sure. You told me once not to promise you anything because that would only make it harder when I broke it and you were right." Zuko took a deep breath, his dreaded speech said, sure that his head was on the chopping block.

"Zuko," Avalon said, snuggling back into his chest, "I do trust you. And you can promise me anything you want, if that will make you feel better."

"But … you told Iroh …" Zuko scratched his head.

"You know Iroh, he makes people see things that they didn't before," Avalon shrugged, happy to leave it at that.

"What did he make you see?" Zuko asked curiously, a smile in his voice.

Avalon paused for a moment, trying to put into words what she had gained from talking with Iroh, "That what doesn't kill us makes us stronger," she said decisively.

"I like that," Zuko said, wrapping his arm around her once more and holding her close. They spent the rest of the night up there, switching off between sleep and keeping a watch. It was a long night, but worth it the next morning when everyone else woke alive and refreshed by a full night's sleep. Breakfast was in the pantries in the form of some sort of granola cake and fruit. After eating, the kids went down to the beach for a swim.

Avalon kept pulling at the Fire Nation swimsuit she was wearing, unused to baring all that skin. Zuko laughed at her and kept tickling her belly, much to her irritation.

"My belly," she huffed, crossing her arms over her stomach.

She darted ahead of him, and the good mood was ruined for Zuko. Her back was still criss-crossed with angry, red scars. They were completely healed, but would mark her forever. Avalon didn't notice his depression over the scars until later, when it was just them on the shore. After their swim, the rest had gone in for a second breakfast. Avalon and Zuko stayed out on the soft, white sands of the beach, enjoying the sun.

Avalon was laying on her stomach, and when she turned her head to look at Zuko he was staring at her scars with a deep sadness tainting his eyes. She flipped up to a sitting position.

"Zuko?"

"Hmm? What?" Zuko asked groggily, too intent on her back to think about anything else.

"What's the matter now?" she asked with mock sarcasm, trying to draw him out of his gloom.

"Your back," Zuko mumbled.

"What about it?" Avalon asked, turning herself in a circle in a humorous attempt to see her own back.

Zuko admitted a small chuckle, but reached his fingers out and traced them along the lines.

"Oh," Avalon sighed forlornly, sprawling out on her stomach again. Zuko surprised her though. He leaned down and brushed his mouth against the marks as if his lips really did hold that magic healing power that Mom and Dad used to tell us about.

Up on the land, not far from the Abode but hidden by a bluff, one set of eyes showed uncharacteristic emotion as they watched the scene on the sand.

Later that afternoon the group was summoned not the dining hall, but to the Temple. Excitement filled the air of the Abode, for everyone was anxious to see the famed Temple. Ming and the three other men from Iroh's crew were disappointed however, they had been instructed to stay at the Abode.

Oyi showed up to take them, but it seemed as if she had caught the same disease that the mute man had. She spoke not one word to the group was they made their winding way up the mountainous island. Avalon filled the heavy silence by singing. No one stopped her.

The Temple came into view. On the outside, there were columns and arches and other such Templey things. The inside, when they finally arrived, was … plain. Sokka looked around in disbelief, searching for the gold-plated walls and floors and the statues of previous Monks made of gold and the golden vases and picture frames.

The only decoration, however, was a tile mosaic that served as a floor. Avalon floated to the domed ceiling to get a better look at it, shocking Oyi into making a sound, a gasp more accurately, and causing the Monks who were watching them silently and undetected from their rooms that conjoined the hall to rush out into the open, pointing at her and chattering excitedly.

"Please," came a nasty voice from the other side of the room, "She's just a freak. Nothing to get excited about."

"Oh Azula, don't say that," Avalon crowed sweetly, "I'm just like you, only smarter … and better-looking." Azula sneered at her as she landed gracefully back on the ground. Zuko instinctively stepped in front of her. Avalon smirked at her from behind Zuko, having won the upper hand for now.

"Please," Oyi croaked out, "Follow me."

The group followed in a gloomy, wary silence. Azula had turned sharply and Mai and Ty Lee joined her, and Oyi seemed to be trailing behind them, instead of leading the gang. They tramped down one more hallway before going through a door.

The door led to a porch-like room; three of the four walls were screens, the fourth stone.

Monk Jianyu waited for them inside, sitting at a large table. Three other Monks sat with him, and two more stood against the one real wall. Everyone sat, keeping as far from Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee as possible. Avalon was unlucky enough to have to spot closest, but she relished the opportunity to make Azula, or at least Ty Lee and Mai, uncomfortable by glaring at them. Zuko noticed and tried to get her to stop, but she was having too much fun watching Ty Lee squirm.

"Shall we start our delegations?" Jianyu asked politely.

"I summoned them here, so I shall start," Azula said, taking charge like always.

"Stop what you are doing now, and you may keep your lives."

Sokka and Avalon burst into harsh laughter at the same time and slapped high fives over Zuko's head.

Azula's jaw tightened, and she pursed her lips, "What are they doing? Avatar, please rein your … friends in."

"Oh, you mean that wasn't a joke?" Avalon quieted her laughs to speak. Azula fixed her with a glare that had the potential to turn people into statues.

"That doesn't sound like much of a peace treaty," Aang cut in.

"That's because it's not," Azula said mockingly, "It's a warning."

"You made us come all the way here … to warn us … that you were going to kill us?" Sokka asked, his mouth hanging open.

"I needed someplace safe to talk with you," Azula said, "Somewhere _you_ would feel safe enough. I'm giving you a chance to get out of this with your lives, if nothing else. You should take it," she added breezily, as if suggesting the chamomile tea to a fellow customer at a teashop.

Avalon laughed loudly again, "Wow, two for two. You really have a sense of humor, Azula."

"That's Firelord Azula to you, scum," Azula snarled, her hands grasping the table. Ty Lee put a hand on Azula's shoulder, trying to calm her, and spoke for the first time.

"I think we've said our piece," she said in her high, squeaky voice, "The Avatar and his friends can think about it, I guess, and then maybe we can come back later and here their answer?"

Jianyu nodded and said, "Tomorrow?"

"No!" Katara yelled, "We don't _need_ time to think about it. The answer is no!"

Jianyu looked to Aang for reassurance when Azula said, "Don't listen to her, Monk, she's a simple Water Tribe peasant. She knows nothing about the delicate politics of the world."

Katara, in an unusual show of anger, would've leapt across the table and strangled Azula right then and there if Toph had not secured her feet to the ground with earth and Sokka had not grabbed onto her shoulders.

"Tomorrow," Aang nodded to Jianyu, anxious to get Azula out of the room. It worked, Azula left with Ty Lee and Mai immediately.

As Sokka, Toph, Iroh and Aang soothed Katara, Avalon turned to Monk Jianyu.

"Can you believe this, Monk?" she winked at him, sticking a joking elbow in his ribs.

Jianyu looked down sternly at her, and she ran her fingers through her hair uncomfortably.

"Is it true, what they say about you?" Zuko asked, all serious.

"What would that be?" Jianyu avoided the question.

"Your … powers over the mind," Zuko said delicately.

"Ah," Jianyu nodded sagely, "That would depend, young one."

"On what?" Zuko pressed.

"Long ago, my Order made a deal with the Spirits," Jianyu said, and his words caught the attention of everyone in the room, "There had been a great war, and the Avatar was in volley, meaning that he had died over the past year and had not been reborn yet. The Heads of my Order contacted some of the most powerful spirits, in ways that are today unlawful for all nations, and made a deal with them. They gave us the upper hand over our fellow countrymen, with the requirement that we had to use these … powers to make peace between the nations when the Avatar could not. The underside of this blessing was that we must never leave this, our island."

"What powers did they give you?" Aang asked, his eyes full of wonder.

"The power, and the curse, of knowing what other men are thinking. Not to control them," he added quickly, "But only to know.

"And now, though it is against my nature to reveal the secrets of another's mind, I must warn you, Avatar. The Firelord has called you here only to draw you away from the rest of the world, and now it burns. Leave, quickly, and you may save it."

"Wait … what?!" Avalon was the first to speak after Jianyu's revelation.

"Calling you here under the false pretense of making a peace treaty, it was a ruse," Jianyu said, urging them out.

"You couldn't have told us earlier?" Avalon yelled, her fear and frustration shouting louder than her voice.

"I did not know until today," Jianyu admitted, "This was the first time I had formally met the Firelord and gotten a good look at her plan. Our powers are limited, just enough to be of help when making peace delegations."

"Shit!" Avalon shouted again, speaking what everyone else only felt.

"Let's go," Aang said as he jumped into the air, hurtling towards the Abode. Avalon followed him shortly and they, along with Ming and the rest, began to pack. Sokka, Katara, Toph, Zuko, and Iroh arrived just as they finished.

"I have to get there as fast as possible," Aang said his thought out loud, searching for an idea.

"Take Appa, we'll be on your tail," Sokka said.

"No, Aang can't go by himself," Katara countered, "It's not safe. We all have to go with him."

"No, we don't," Avalon said, "Aang, you take Katara, Toph, and Zuko."

"All four of the elements," Aang nodded, following Avalon's train of thought.

"Exactly," Avalon smiled.

"No," Zuko said quickly, as Aang, Katara and Toph got on Appa and the rest boarded the ship, "Avalon, I'm not leaving you."

"I'll be right behind. Don't worry, Sunshine," she smiled at him once more, and kissed him quickly. Zuko held on a moment longer than necessary, unwilling to let go.

"Don't worry. I'm sure a day or two apart will do you good," she laughed.

"Doubt it," Zuko mumbled hopelessly.

"Bye," she said, kissing him one last time.

Zuko watched unhappily as she hopped aboard the ship that was already moving away from the dock before getting on Appa and watching it disappear behind him.


	19. Break on Through to the Other Side

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA**

Avalon flopped back onto her bunk, bored out of her mind. It had been four days of travel already on the ship. She was equally worried about Zuko. She had hidden it when he had left, knowing that he needed her to be strong more than she needed him to be, but she still worried.

To pass the time, she did as many chores as she could, and had written a song that she was quite proud of. It was about Zuko, of course, and she knew he would love it. _If_ we ever made it to land, she thought sardonically.

Iroh had tried pacifying her, he even let her beat him in Pai Sho, but that brought no smile to her face. He figured she wouldn't smile again until she was safe in Zuko's arms.

At that moment, Iroh pounded urgently on her door. Avalon flew to it and threw it open. Iroh smiled at her.

"Land ho," he said, knowing the response the words would evoke. So he was prepared when she jumped on him and started shouting happily. She darted away from him, heading for the deck and knocking people out of her way or simply sliding through them.

Sure enough, a small strip of land had appeared on the horizon. It wasn't getting closer fast enough, so Avalon, with Iroh's permission, left the ship to take herself in faster.

They had specified a meeting place with Aang before he left, and the time was right. Avalon arrived at the little harbor town a few minutes after she had left the boat, wowing the people who were outside. Someone even fell to their knees in praise. She ignored them, scanning the crowd for Zuko.

She grabbed the collar of one of the street vendors, snarling into his face, "Have you seen the Avatar? You know, bald kid, blue arrow on his forehead, travels around on a flying bison? You seen him?"

The street vendor appeared to be thinking about it, and then he smiled wickedly, "I'm not sure. I think I just need something to, ahem, jog my memory."

"Oh, I'll give you something to jog your memory, you weasel-faced-"

"Avalon!" She turned from her investigation to look for the voice. She found it, bobbing through the small crowd, waving to her.

"Zuko!" she cried, passing through people in an attempt to reach him. He caught her up in his arms, spinning her once and reveling in the feel of her body against his, before he brought her down to his face and kissed her deeply.

What they didn't notice was the ship that had just pulled into the harbor, and the people that had gotten off of it.

"See Zuko," Avalon said when he let her go, "I told you everything was going to be alri…"

She stopped mid-sentence, her face contorting with pain. Her eyes widened, and she started gasping for breath.

"Avalon?" Zuko said dumbly; already, his heart was racing. She fell into him, and as he grabbed her, he saw the three knives protruding from her back. An indescribable anger settled over him, like a monstrous storm cloud. His head whipped up to see Mai on the dock, staring at her own hands in shock, as if in disbelief of what she had just done. The storm broke.

"Katara!" Zuko roared. Katara poked her head out of one of the shops and ran instantly to Zuko's side. He deposited Avalon, fast fading, into Katara's arms. Katara immediately set about trying to heal her. The townspeople scattered to a safe place so none were left but them.

Zuko charged Mai head on, bringing his hands around in an arc, fire shooting from them. Mai dodged the fire with a look of dumb shock still on her face. Azula jumped off of the ship and watched in enjoyment as Zuko battled with Mai while Ty Lee watched on in horror. Tears were streaking down Zuko's face. Aang emerged next and took the scene in for a moment before charging Azula.

Azula cackled, figuring this to be the end. She shot lightning at Aang, but he redirected it back. This surprised her to no end, but it shouldn't have. She dodged it nimbly, and kicked more at him.

"Zuko," Mai whispered. He was pinning her down on the ground, having easily defeated her. Ty Lee was rushing towards Mai, but Zuko stopped her with a look.

"What have you done?" Zuko choked out, his voice breaking.

"I didn't … I'm sorry," Mai stuttered.

"What if she _dies_?" Zuko roared the last word in her face, making Mai flinch.

"_What have you done?_" he roared again, falling to pieces. Mai's eyes were wide with fear; she had never seen anyone so angry or upset.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," she said quietly, hoping to calm him, "It's just … I love you, Zuko."

Zuko lifted her from the ground by her shirt, and threw her away from him. She landed on the ground and stayed there, too ashamed to raise her head. Zuko stumbled back to Katara, grief blinding him.

Katara didn't look up from her work to glance at him. Zuko fell at Avalon's side, cradling her head in his arms and whispering her name, over and over again.

Meanwhile, Aang was winning. He knew it, and Azula knew it. But then she smiled that evil smile and Aang knew he was in trouble.

Just then, Iroh's ship landed at the dock. He leapt off of the ship, and dealt Azula a hard blow to the ribs before she had the chance to strike. Aang nodded gratefully at Iroh, who bowed back. Azula crumpled to the ground.

"Did you … kill her?" Aang asked, not sure of what he wanted the answer to be.

"No," Iroh said. Aang nodded in relief. Sokka was next off the ship and he took three steps towards Ty Lee before she fell to her knees and held up her wrists in surrender. Toph secured her to the ground as well as Mai. Iroh stepped over Azula's prone body, a mistake he almost paid for with his life.

"Iroh!" Aang shouted in warning. Azula rose from the ground like a zombie and raised her hand for the killing stroke, a smile distorting her face. Aang darted past Iroh, grabbing Azula's hand. There was a battle of wills for a few silent moments, as Aang and Azula faced each other, their hands clasped in the air together.

Lightning crackled, filling the air with a dreadful sound and smoke. There was a shriek and both Aang and Azula fell to the ground.

No one spoke or tried to approach the bodies. Finally, after a few unbearably long seconds, Aang pushed himself off the ground, hacking the smoke out of his lungs.

Iroh grabbed Aang's arm, pulling him to his feet. Aang leaned against Iroh, blinking rapidly. Toph quickly secured Azula to the ground with earthbending and Sokka strode over to her. No one spoke.

Katara was still healing Avalon; Zuko was still cradling her head. He hadn't even looked up to what was happening.

Sokka stooped down to check Azula's heartbeat, but Toph stopped him.

"There's no need," she said. A gloom descended upon them all, especially Aang.

"It's over," Sokka said, in disbelief. He patted Aang on the back, "You did it."

"I killed her," Aang whispered, tears forming in his gray eyes.

"You had to," Sokka shrugged, "She was going to kill all of us."

Aang backed away from them, his eyes wide and fearful. Katara began to get up to go comfort Aang, but Zuko grabbed her wrist. He glared at her and she shivered. Zuko was cracking under the stress; she could see it in his eyes.

"There's nothing more I can do," Katara said regretfully. The wounds had been healed over, but it remained to be seen if Avalon would get up.

"Is she … is she going to be okay," Zuko stammered, tears still flowing down his face.

"I don't know," Katara said, pulling away from them to go to Aang.

A cry of rage and sorrow erupted from Zuko's belly. Everyone in attendance shut their eyes to the painful cry, but it rang in their ears, an echo of pure grief.

**Author's note - Oh, cliffhanger! Haha, sorry :) but not really. I still don't really know what's going to happen, I haven't made my mind up yet, so please review and let me know what you guys think! Oh and the reason that the chapter title is Break on Through to the Other Side is because that was the song going through my head when I wrote it.  
**


	20. What Is and What Should Never Be

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA**

The night was sleepless torture for Zuko. After a couple of hours, Katara had assured Zuko that Avalon would wake up. The only problem now, was that she hadn't.

Aang had taken off to God-knows-where, and Sokka and Toph were searching vainly for him. Only Katara understood how much Azula's death had gone against Aang's nature, and she feared what this would do to him.

The world was in limbo. The Fire Nation was leaderless. Zuko was a hysterical wreck. The Avatar had disappeared again. Katara felt so useless, she almost didn't get out of bed in the morning.

But she did, and as she walked quietly down the hall to Avalon's room, she prayed to all the spirits she could think of for strength. If she knew what she was going on in the room she was about to enter, she would have prayed tenfold.

She cracked open the door and peeked inside. Zuko had cuddled up on the small bed with Avalon, who was still out. Katara shut the door softly, careful not to make a noise.

She wondered how long was too long for Avalon to sleep. It was beginning to worry her, but her fears were soon dispelled. Zuko sauntered into the kitchen of the small house that a local villager had given up for them.

"Hi, Zuko," Katara said, trying to be bright. Zuko didn't respond, he didn't even look at her.

"Did Avalon wake up at all?" Katara asked.

"Once. Last night," Zuko mumbled.

"Oh!" Katara exclaimed, "That's wonderful!"

Zuko shrugged.

"What did she say?" Katara asked warily.

"Nothing much. Just that she … hurt," Zuko whispered. Katara got the picture, and didn't press it anymore. She trailed behind Zuko back to Avalon's room, where he was intent upon waking her. He had a small breakfast of soup for her to eat.

She opened her eyes almost immediately, and Katara could see Zuko physically relax. He fed her the soup, much to her dismay. She kept fussing about it, complaining weakly that she could feed herself.

Finally, Zuko gave in, and let her sup her soup on her own.

"How do you feel today? Katara asked when she had finished.

"Great," Avalon smiled feebly.

"Any pain?" Katara asked.

"Yeah … but no. I don't know. It's hard to explain. Like, I feel the pain, but I can't pinpoint it," Avalon's nose scrunched up in thought.

She stretched her arms out, and made a move to get up. She fell back onto her pillow. She tried again. Now, her whole body seemed tensed as if getting out of bed took so much concentration. Then she started to twitch.

"Katara?!" Zuko said, his voice rising in panic. Katara knew what was going on just as much as Zuko did, and she shrugged at him.

Now Avalon was shaking. Her eyes were wide in horror for the second time. The look sent Zuko into a full-out panic.

"Katara, what's the matter with her?!" Zuko screamed in Katara's face. Avalon launched herself off the bed, and straight into s wall. She collapsed against it, crying uncontrollably.

"It's gone," she sobbed, over and over. Zuko calmed down a bit, and told Katara to beat it. Katara obliged willingly, seeing Avalon like that had disturbed her.

"What's gone, baby?" Zuko asked, approaching Avalon carefully. Avalon looked up at him through tear-reddened eyes before jumping up and latching onto him. Zuko slid carefully down the wall so that they were both sitting again.

"It's gone," she cried again.

"Where did it go?" Zuko said, taking a different approach, "Where can we find it again?"

"I … I don't know," she stammered and started twitching again.

"Hey, hey," Zuko took her face in his hands so that she had nowhere else to look but his eyes, "What's the matter, Avalon?"

She calmed down a bit, stopped twitching, but was still crying soundlessly.

"It's gone," she whispered to him.

"What?" Zuko pressed, his patience wearing thin.

"Everything."

"No, I'm still here," Zuko said soothingly.

Her eyes were locked in that terror-stricken phase. She dropped her head into her arms, hiding it from Zuko. Zuko, way out of his league and annoyed because of it, left the room angrily. Avalon watched him go silently, endless tears striping down her face.

An hour later, she slinked out of the room. Her shoulders sagged. Her hair was in hopeless disarray. Her face was lined, her eyes red. Katara almost screamed when Avalon arrived in the kitchen. She regained her composure quickly, but Avalon didn't seem to have noticed Katara's expression.

"How's your back, Avalon? Want me to take a look?" Katara said sweetly, but her voice shook.

"Doesn't matter," Avalon mumbled.

"What doesn't matter?" Katara asked, confused.

"Everything. Nothing matters. Not anymore."

Avalon seemed so … fragile. Mentally fragile. Like she had just jumped off of the Cliffs of Sanity and was sinking in the Ocean of Chaos.

"Avalon," Katara gulped, "You're scaring us. What happened to you?"

"It's gone," she said, again. Katara felt the same frustration that Zuko had, but she handled it much better.

"You have to tell us what's gone if we're going to help you find it again," Katara said calmly.

"You can't," Avalon said despairingly. Then she leapt from the stool that she had sunk onto, running headlong into a wall, over and over again.

"Avalon!" Katara cried. She was going to hurt herself. Katara instinctively froze her in a block of water so that only her head was free. Avalon was sobbing again. Zuko ran into the room, his face locked in a grim, gray, expression.

"What's going on?" he asked Katara.

"I don't know," Katara said, breathing heavily, "She just started running into the wall so I froze her in place. I thought she was going to hurt herself. I think she's going mad, Zuko."

"Running into the wall …" Zuko murmured, a thought arriving in his brain, "Avalon?"

Avalon tried to turn to look at him, craning her neck. Zuko walked in front of her but almost threw up his breakfast when he looked into her wild, crazy eyes.

"Come here, Avalon," he said, calling to her. She struggled against her ice prison to no avail, "Come on, Avalon. I know you can get out of there," Zuko whispered to her encouragingly.

"No!" she shrieked, "It's gone!"

Zuko's fears were confirmed, "She's lost her gifts."

"What?" Katara had not caught on yet. The train of thought that had stopped in Zuko's mind had not yet arrived at hers.

"Her powers, abilities. They're gone. When she was stabbed in the back the knives must have cut something loose in her body, changed her," Zuko said grimly.

"That would explain her … craziness," Katara nodded, finally getting it, "She lost a part of her, a big part. Like when you left, there was a week that she was so crazy-depressed, because you are a part of her. She lost some her identity when she lost you. Now, it seems, she has lost most of her identity."

"Why won't she just snap out of it?" Zuko asked, clearly annoyed, but only because he was scared.

"It would be like you losing your Firebending, Zuko," Katara said, using that gift of hers to make people understand others' situations, "How would you feel?"

"Losing my Firebending would be like losing my soul," Zuko argued, but as the words were said out loud, he comprehended them. Katara unfroze Avalon, who had been quietly listening to their conversation. Zuko caught her, because she was about to fall on her face. She passed out in his arms.

Later that night, Avalon woke up again. The world was off-kilter. Everything was darker and twisted. She felt so heavy.

"Zuko?" she whispered into the darkness. She could feel him here, somewhere. She could hear his breath, "Zuko?" she said again, louder.

"What? What?" Zuko awoke with a shout.

She shushed him. He was lying on the bed with her again.

"Avalon?"

"Yes, Zuko, I'm here," Avalon said. Zuko reached out and found her shoulders, which he pulled against him.

"Sunshine?"

"Yes?"

"Do you still love me?" Avalon's voice cracked over the words. Zuko's closed his eyes and sighed.

"Zuko?!" an edge of frenzy had entered her voice.

"Of course I still love you," Zuko said, ashamed that he had scared her.

"Why did you hesitate?" she pried.

"Because it was a silly question," Zuko assured her, "I'll always love you, Avalon, no matter how broken you are."


	21. Wild Horses

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA**

Avalon was cuddled up against Zuko's chest as he waved at the people on the docks. It had been a week since she had woken up without her powers.

They were on a ship, heading to the Fire Nation capitol. Aang was still AWOL. Katara had left them to find him. Zuko's coronation was set for three days from tomorrow.

They arrived at the harbor amid crowds of cheering people. Zuko looked out on his soon-to-be subjects, knowing that not half of the nobles had shown up.

He had a long way to go, and he knew it. Avalon had shrunk into his side, trying futilely to disappear like she used to be able to do. People stared and pointed at her, and rumors circulated.

Zuko smiled and took her hand, leading her to the palace, where they would live. She smiled for him, but it was forced.

* * *

"Aang, where are you?" Katara muttered to herself.

"Talking to yourself isn't going to get us anywhere, Sugar Queen," Toph snapped. Things were almost like they used to be when they were on the run from Zuko, way back when.

"Oh, and what exactly are you doing to help?" Katara hissed, her nerves frayed, "Making snide little comments? Is that your idea of contribution?"

"Ladies, please," Sokka began.

"Shut up, Sokka!" they both screamed at him, and then went back to glaring at each other.

Sokka sulked for a few minutes, wandering over to the river. He dropped to the ground, intent on taking a nap in the sun. A large, bison-shaped shadow stole over him, and Sokka grumbled at first because of the unwelcome shade. But then he opened his eyes to the under-belly of Appa.

"Aang!" Sokka screamed at the top of his voice, trying to get the driver's attention. Appa slowed and fell in a spiral to the ground. Aang was sitting at his head. He looked … old.

"Aang?" Katara burst out of the woods and hugged Aang tightly.

"I'm okay, Katara," Aang said softly to her. She looked up at him and nodded, "And I'm sorry that I left. That was wrong of me."

"No, Aang, it's okay. We understand," Katara soothed him, letting her head rest against his chest. Aang didn't wrap his arms around her though, and he didn't seem to be enjoying her touch like he usually did.

"Where did you go, Twinkle Toes? We've been looking everywhere for you?" Toph butted in.

"Just … around," Aang shrugged. Katara pulled back to look at him, concern in her eyes. Had Azula's death hardened him this much? It seemed as though it had. Katara felt a little piece of her heart break off. Aang's boyish innocence had been destroyed. Even in death, Azula was capable of killing.

"We're due at the Fire Nation for Zuko's coronation in three days," Katara said, wanting desperately to change the subject.

"Okay," Aang mumbled, "Let's go."

"Well, we don't have to go now. We have three days, you know," Katara smiled, trying to lighten the mood, "We could maybe go to Omashu and slide down the chutes again. Or we could find something fun to do in the Fire Nation."

"No," Aang shook his head, "We have grown-up things to do, Katara. We don't have time for fun."

"Don't say that, Aang," Katara pleaded, letting her arms drop from this stranger. Toph and Sokka sidled away furtively, neither wanting to intrude.

"It's true," Aang said, raising his arms above his head, and bringing his voice to shouting level, "We're not kids anymore, Katara."

"Yes, we are. You're only fourteen," Katara said stubbornly.

"No, I'm one hundred and fourteen. And I'm damn tired! You think a kid could take a life? Well, I did! That must make me an adult!" Aang shouted. Katara started back, like she had been slapped. She had never heard Aang lose his temper like this before.

"Aang, please," she began, but Aang interrupted her.

"What, Katara? What do you want me to do? You might as well just say it straight, because you have me wrapped around your finger anyway!"

"Aang," Katara gasped, insulted, "What's wrong with you?"

"Um, everything!" Aang shouted, before jumping back on to Appa.

"Aang, don't go!" Katara shouted after him. She leapt onto Appa's side, climbing onto his back. Aang turned around to look at her, angry tears making their appearance on his face, "I know Azula's death marred you, Aang, but you can't do this! You can't lose yourself. I'm not going to watch this happen to another one of my friends!"

"Another?" Aang asked quietly after a long pause.

"It's Avalon. She lost her powers."

Aang's face, which had moments ago seemed so stiff, softened considerably, "Oh no," he said under his breath, "How is she?"

"I don't know. She went half way to crazy before I left. But I hope Zuko is bringing her back."

Aang turned bitterly away from Katara, his face set back in its mask. Katara stared at his back for a few more moments, before leaving.

Aang sat in silence a few more moments, but his thoughts were interrupted by Sokka.

"Who do you think you are?" Sokka yelled gruffly at him, "Making Katara cry like that! She has done nothing but love you and support you for these last few years, and this is how you repay her?"

"No, Sokka," Aang leapt off of Appa, landing right in front of him, "She has done nothing but lead me in circles."

They glared each other down for a few more seconds, and then Sokka calmed down despite the obvious insult on his sister and said, "What did Azula's death do to you?"

"Opened my eyes," Aang replied bluntly.

"I know you didn't want to kill her, but you had to. She was going to kill us," Sokka exasperated. He didn't have Katara's gift for seeing the other person's point of view.

"No, there was another way. There had to be. You don't understand, Sokka. That went against everything I've ever been taught."

"Well, you learned something new, then," Sokka said, "You're the Avatar, Aang. If you lose yourself, the world will lose itself. You have to bring yourself together. You're stronger than this rage. I know you are. Me? Hell, I'm not even half as strong as you."

Aang made eye contact with Sokka, and a small smile flitted across his face briefly, "Thanks for the heart-to-heart Sokka."

"Yeah, well," Sokka coughed and punched Aang's shoulder, "Don't get used to it."

As they headed for the Fire Nation, Toph sat next to Sokka, "That was really good of you, Meathead. Maybe there is hope."

Sokka coughed again, "Like I said, don't get used to it."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Toph laughed.

* * *

"I know you're going to love it here, Avalon," Zuko kissed her forehead. Lately, he had been overly nice to her, trying to ease her burden.

"Yeah," she smiled at him. She could give him at least this. Let him know that she really did love him, even though he would soon doubt that. Avalon just couldn't do it for much longer, but for the last few days she would put all of her effort into making him happy.

"I think most of the nobles are really quite taken with you," Zuko continued babbling happily.

"Great," Avalon rolled her eyes. Zuko laughed a little at her response.

"Zuko?" she said.

"What is it, Avs?"

"Thank you. For everything. I know it's probably been incredibly hard for you these past couple weeks. But it won't be soon."

"You don't have to thank me. I wouldn't have it any other way," Zuko said, rubbing his hand around her back.

"I know. But still … I really appreciate it. And if you … want anything, just ask me now," Avalon didn't look at him when she said this. He probably wouldn't pick up on the hint, but he didn't know that he wouldn't be able to ask her anything soon.

"Nope," Zuko said, "I'm fine." Avalon nodded. He was completely oblivious.

"Prince Zuko?" a servant appeared at the door and bowed, "The Avatar and his friends have arrived."

"Okay, I'll be right there," Zuko said and the servant bowed again and left. Avalon's heart fluttered. She didn't want to see Aang and the others again. This would have to be good-bye.

"I … have to run to my room and clean up a little before I go see Aang. Do you mind?" Avalon kept her anxiety carefully hidden from her features.

Zuko looked confused, but not suspicious, "Not at all. Do what you must."

"Thanks," Avalon got up from the couch and Zuko rose with her, "I love you, Zuko. Forever."

Then she kissed him deeply. If Zuko was slightly confused before, now he was totally baffled.

"I love you too, Avs," he said, pleasant surprise showing through his perplexity.

She left him standing in the hallway, seemingly heading for her room. She made a sharp turn to the kitchens as soon as he was out of sight, though.

Zuko was about to go greet Aang, but he remembered that there was a dinner planned in the Avatar's honor for the night he arrived. He should tell Avalon to wear a nice dress.

He hurried to her room and knocked. When there was no answer from the inside, Zuko opened the door.

On her spacious bed, her bags were packed and waiting. Suddenly, all the things she had said earlier today and before that clicked into place. She was leaving. Panic welled inside Zuko and he sat down on the bed with a huff, his body too stiff to do anything else.

_Why?_ Zuko wondered numbly _Why?_

**Author's note – Aw, second to last chapter :( Hope you guys are still enjoying it, though. Don't forget to review!!**


	22. You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA**

As Appa crossed over the invisible border of the Fire Nation, a strange peace settled over the group riding on his back. Tensions and tempers had been high when they left for Zuko's coronation ceremony.

The peace was unusual because the Fire Nation had long been their source of stress and fear and now it seemed to calm them. Maybe because they all knew that there was someone in the Capitol suffering much worse then them.

Aang was quiet for the duration of the trip, stewing over the fact he had snapped at Katara. Sokka and Toph kept trying to strike up conversations with him, to no avail. Katara also was silent.

As they touched down in the Capitol, memories of the fights that had occurred were all stirred up in their minds. They had twice charged these gates, once on the Day of Black Sun, and once when Sozin's Comet arrived. Now they were walking peacefully through them, ushered by servants.

One of the servants in the crowd around them broke away, to notify soon-to-be-Firelord Zuko of their arrival.

* * *

Avalon rushed into her room, shutting her door quickly and quietly behind her. She jumped a mile in the air when she turned and saw Zuko sitting on her bed, nestled in between her bags.

Avalon's mouth hung open for a moment before she snapped it shut, trying to conjure a hard look on her face.

Zuko's mind was racing, looking for a way to keep her here. Anything that would make her stay. He would get down on his knees and beg if he had to. A small thread in his pocket felt like it was burning through his pants to make itself known. He acknowledged it swiftly, grasping it in his pocket like it was his last hope, which it probably was.

"Avalon," he choked out, the words were as slow and heavy as molasses, "I do have one last question for you."

Avalon bit her lip; she could give him at least this, "Okay, Zuko. I'm listening."

Zuko drew a deep breath and pulled the necklace from his pocket, holding it out to her, "Will you … marry me?"

The interminable silence between her reply was excruciating. Zuko could feel it dragging on and on, he was drowning in it. Finally, though it was maybe ten seconds later, Avalon sighed and sat down next to him on her bed, pushing the bag aside.

"Zuko …" she said. Zuko shut his eyes, sure that he didn't want to hear the rest of it.

* * *

"When are we going to see Zuko?" Sokka grumbled, "Some host he is. Leaving his guests out here in the cold."

It was in fact a beautiful spring evening, promising the next couple days to be the same and a warm summer after that. Darkness was falling fast.

"I am truly sorry," the servant that had been sent to fetch Zuko had come back empty-handed, "I told His Highness, and I thought he was right behind me. He just disappeared."

The man was about to send every servant under his power on a search for Zuko, but Katara halted him. She had a feeling that Zuko's absence was related to Avalon in a way. Luckily, her intuition served them well once again.

* * *

"Just go," Zuko whispered, "Don't drag out the inevitable." He shook her hand off of his shoulder.

"I can't stay," Avalon said, desperate to explain her actions, "This isn't my life here. Balls, nobles, higher society, the whole shebang. I don't belong here, Zuko. And if I did stay I would be miserable, even more than I am now."

Zuko laughed scornfully, once, "I propose to her, and she's miserable."

"Don't do that," Avalon pleaded quietly. Zuko reprimanded himself, reining in his temper. He was pleasantly surprised when he found that he could.

"We both know it's true," Avalon put her hand under Zuko's chin, raising his face so that she could peer into his eyes.

* * *

Iroh hurried over to where Aang and his friends sat in the Imperial Garden. They greeted him happily, Aang especially. Iroh always brought with him a sense of wisdom greater than any Aang had known, besides for maybe Monk Gyatso.

"Do you think Zuko's ready?" Aang asked Iroh after the greetings. The way that Zuko would handle this nation was of great interest to Aang, because he knew it would influence the rest of the world. His world.

"I think that Zuko is more than rady for this. I do not think that you have anything to fear from him, Aang," Iroh said, as happy as he could be with a full stomach. Those months of prison, and poverty before that, had hardened him and he couldn't remember the last time he had a good, roasted pig-chicken.

Aang felt better with Iroh's words, "I'm glad that it's going to be Zuko on the throne. I think I can trust him."

"You should," Iroh smiled widely, and Aang's returning one matched, "Zuko will be a magnificent Firelord."

* * *

"I know," Zuko mumbled, because he really did. He knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that she wouldn't stay. Anger tried vainly to bubble in his stomach and out his mouth, but Zuko repressed it. Even now, when she was in the midst of leaving him, Zuko didn't want to hurt her more than necessary.

Avalon picked up her bag and her guitar case on the other side of Zuko. As she moved out of the door, she turned and said, "I would've married you. Under any other circumstances."

Zuko got up from her bed then, holding out the betrothal necklace to her once more, "Then you should take this. I won't be giving it to anyone else anyway."

Avalon debated taking it, and did. Zuko tied it around her neck, keeping his tears at bay until she was gone.

She looked at him once more, eternal sadness welling in her eyes. But enough of her was already lost; she couldn't lose her freedom as well. Though the pain of leaving a love so true was agonizing, Avalon's loss of powers had sharpened her sight to the little time she had left, and she'd be damned if that was going to be all fancy, stiff clothing and polite conversation with people she disliked. She had lived through the last few weeks, barely, but still alive, and she knew that she could live through this as well.

Zuko caught her up in one last kiss, before letting her go and watching as she walked out of his life.

* * *

"Uncle!" Zuko shouted urgently as he sprinted to the Gardens. Iroh jumped off of the bench he and Aang were sitting on, running to meet Zuko.

"Zuko, what's wrong?" Iroh asked, panic in his voice. Zuko's eyes were determined though, and he had a bag slung over his shoulder.

"I have to go, Uncle. I won't be back. You're the rightful Firelord, Iroh. My father cheated you out of your birthright and I'm giving it back."

Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph stood, all four of them slack-jawed, and listened to Zuko. They were all confused, the same thought running simultaneously through their brains. Wasn't this everything Zuko had ever wanted?

"I'm too old, my nephew," Iroh said softly, "I couldn't be the Firelord. And what about my Jasmine Dragon?"

"No," Zuko shook his head, the determination more evident than ever, "You could lead these people ten times better than I ever could."

"He's right, Iroh," Aang piped up. Though he had nothing but trust for Zuko, Aang knew Iroh was the true leader.

"And I have to go," Zuko added quickly, hinting at Iroh for his consent.

"Is this about her?" Iroh asked.

"Yes," Zuko didn't hesitate to answer, "And if you keep me any longer, she'll be gone."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Iroh asked wearily, but a smile crept across his face. His nephew's happiness was more important than his teashop. And, Iroh found, he did want this.

* * *

"Thank you," Avalon said to the boat keeper, as he handed her the set of keys to a small, sturdy boat.

"You're welcome, miss," the man replied politely. Avalon hung the hood of the Fire Nation cloak she had taken over her head, hiding her features. She looked back at the Capitol on the hill, wishing that she could stay, but resigned to knowing that she couldn't.

"Avalon!" Zuko raced down to the harbor, calling after her. Avalon didn't whip back around to hold him in her arms gratefully. She froze and thought, _Why's he throwing his life away like this? If he thinks that he's coming with me, he's got another thing coming._

"What are you doing," she hissed at him as he climbed aboard her tiny, one-man ship.

"I'm coming with you," Zuko said, thinking the answer obvious.

"No, you're not," she sighed, "You're going to be the Firelord in two days. You can't run away from that."

"Iroh's going to be Firelord. He should be anyway. And I'm not running away, I'm following my life," Zuko shrugged, "Why are you wearing that cloak?" he asked suddenly, seeming amused by it.

Iroh's going to be Firelord? Zuko isn't?! Hope bubbled up in Avalon, and she smiled widely, throwing the hood back, "Because I thought it was dramatic," she pouted playfully, "Especially this hood."

Zuko pushed the boat out to sea and settled back. Avalon flew into his arms, hugging him fiercely. Zuko laughed a little and hugged her back.

"You're not going to run away from me again, are you?" Zuko asked seriously.

"Only if you don't let me keep this cloak," Avalon joked back. Zuko sighed, that was probably the best answer he would get. But she was happy, jokingly so even, and that made Zuko happy, despite the lack of commitment she provided.

"And I wasn't kidding earlier," Avalon added, knowing what Zuko had really been fishing for. Now it was Zuko's turn to smile widely. As they set about steering the boat in the direction of anywhere else, Avalon started humming.

Zuko knew the song; it was the first he had ever heard her sing. They had been stranded at the North Pole, and he had scoffed at her, because he thought the words were so inappropriate. Like anything else she said or did, the words were imprinted on Zuko's brain and he started to sing along with the humming.

Avalon had never heard Zuko sing before, and there was good reason for that. Zuko's voice was woefully out of tune as he warbled along with her. She almost broke into laughter, but then joined in with him, her voice weaving beautifully in with his tuneless one.

"_I think I can make it now, the pain is gone  
All of the bad feelings have disappeared  
Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for  
It's gonna be a bright, bright, bright,_

_Bright sunshiny day._

_Look all around, there's nothin' but blue skies  
Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies_

_I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,  
I can see all obstacles in my way  
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind  
It's gonna be a bright ,bright, bright,_

_Bright sunshiny day."_

_**Fin**_

**Author's note - I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash. Thank you everybody for reading my little story, especially Avatarlover1, ChipFest, penz rite stuf, and Vaklu, my couple of faithful reviewers. You guys rock :)**


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